The Covasna court acquitted the former mayor of Brasov Gheorghe Skripkara and the former head of the municipality’s Public Transport Department in a case in which they were sent to court in December 2020 for blackmail. According to the judges, the two did not commit the acts they were accused of, News.ro informs. The decision is not final.

“According to Art. 396 paragraphs 5, related to Art. 16 years old c of the Criminal Procedure Code decides to acquit the accused Skrypkaru George of committing the crime of blackmail, provided for in Art. 207 para. 1 and 3 of the Criminal Code related to Art. 13 ind. 1 of Law No. 78/2000. According to Art. 396 paragraphs 5, related to Art. 16 years old c of the Criminal Procedure Code decides to acquit the accused Cornea George Mihai of the crime of complicity in blackmail, provided for in Art. 48 para. 1 is related to Art. 207 para. 1 and 3 of the Criminal Code and Art. 13 ind. 1 of Law No. 78/2000”, is the decision of the Kovasna court.

The decision can be appealed in the appeal procedure within 10 days from the moment the decision is announced.

The file was sent to court by DNA prosecutors in December 2020 and concerns an election campaign dating back three years.

“Since the mayor of the municipality of Brasov registered in the election race for a new mandate, the defendant Skripkaru George allegedly threatened on August 12, 2020, one of the employees of a commercial company that broadcast campaign videos on buses belonging to the Autonomous Government of Transport of Brasov (RATBV) SA, that the company would suffer , unless it immediately stops broadcasting this ad. This company signed an agreement with RATBVSA for the lease of space on buses and during this period began broadcasting campaign videos for Brasov mayoral candidates from parties with which the company had previously signed advertising contracts. Between August 6 and 12, 2020, the same defendant, through Kornea George Mihai, General Manager of RATBV SA, allegedly pressured an individual from the relevant company to stop broadcasting campaign videos that only related to a certain electoral formation and promote free of charge through LCD screens owned by the company, “accomplishments” of the mayor during the current mandate, disguised as positive news, prosecutors said in the indictment.

George Skripkaru lost the 2020 election to Allen Coliban (USA). By that time, he had been the mayor of Brasov for 16 years.

The case from the Kovasna court is the fourth acquittal for the former mayor, who was also sent to court for corruption and was found not guilty.

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