The Bucharest Court of Appeal accepted on Monday a plea deal struck by businessman Catalin Lescut with DNA prosecutors, sentencing him to a two-and-a-half-year suspended prison sentence for influence peddling and money laundering in the €22 million Otopeni Airport bribery case.

Cătălin Lăscuţ, owner of Millenium Pro Design SRL, signed a deal with DNA in May in which he pleaded guilty and agreed to a suspended sentence for his involvement in the Otopeni airport corruption case, but that deal was rejected in July. Bucharest court.

The businessman and DNA challenged the decision of the court of first instance, winning the case at the Bucharest Court of Appeal, which on Monday recognized the agreement between the two parties, writes Agerpres. In addition to the suspended sentence, the entrepreneur must serve 120 days of community service at the State Administrative Court of Ukraine.

Bribery broker, the only person to stand trial in the €22 million Otopeni airport bribery case

Also in this case, DNA entered into plea agreements with two other defendants, namely George Alexandru Ivan, the former CEO of the Bucharest National Airport Company, and Rada Laurentiu Tenesescu, the director of SC Millenium Pro Design SRL.

However, the agreement made with George Alexandru Ivan was rejected by the Bucharest Court, the proceedings are ongoing in the Bucharest Court of Appeal.

The only defendant sent to trial is Cristian Dumitru Balan, who is believed to be the middleman in the bribery.

According to DNA, in January 2022 and between October and November 2022, Christian Dumitru Belan allegedly submitted claims twice to a businessman (a partner in a commercial company that uses commercial space at Otopeni Airport) and twice more from the general director of another commercial company for several sums of money (€10 million, €10 million, €1.2 million and €1.2 million).

In documents sent to the court, DNA revealed that Belan demanded €10 million and €1.2 million from Saade Hardan, lawyer and CEO of SC DNATA Catering SRL, and another €10 million and €1.2 million from Cătălin Lăscut, owner Millenium. Pro Design SRL, to obtain from the authorities the extension of contracts for the operation of commercial premises at Otopeni Airport.

Cristian Dumitru Balan would be assisted by Gheorghe Alexandru Ivan, the former General Director of the Bucharest National Airport Company (CNAB), to claim one of the sums of 10,000,000 euros, and accordingly he would act together with him to claim one of the sums of 1,200,000 euros.

In exchange for the corresponding money, Christian Dumitru Belan would allow himself to believe that he has influence over the Minister of Transport and the Director General of the CNAB and that he will induce them to extend for different periods of time (one year, respectively five). years) contracts for the operation of commercial spaces at Otopeni airport, concluded between CNAB and two commercial companies, DNA reports. (PHOTO: Dreamstime.com)