Ex-Romanian premier claims innocence in graft trial appeal

BUCHAREST: Romanian ex-Prime Minister Adrian Nastase, sentenced in January to two years in jail for graft, claimed his innocence Wednesday before the Supreme Court in an appeal closely monitored by the EU.
Nastase, 61, who headed the Social-Democrat government between 2000 and 2004, was convicted of siphoning off funds totalling about 1.5 million euros ($1.8 million) for his 2004 re-election campaign. He appealed the judgement.
Prosecutors said public institutions and private companies were pressured into taking part in a 2004 construction contest with participation fees passing through several accounts before ending up paying for Nastase's presidential campaign posters.
"The charges against me are entirely politically motivated," he told the judges.
Nastase, assisted by four lawyers, said he was "absolutely" not guilty and complained he had been harassed for eight years by anti-corruption prosecutors.
"I am indignant that instead of being able to join the election campaign (ahead of the local polls due in June) I have to be part of this political game," he said.
Anti-graft prosecutors, whose firm action against top-level officials suspected of corruption has been repeatedly praised by the European Commission, rejected Nastase's allegations.
Romania's judiciary has been under close scrutiny from the European Commission since 2007, with Brussels insisting on more efforts to fight high-level corruption in the former Communist country.
Nastase is the most senior figure prosecuted in Romania's anti-corruption drive.
FROM: Agence France Presse