UK authorities have seized 1.4 million pounds from former MP Cristian Boureanu at Romania's request, representing part of the damages he is required to pay in connection with a corruption case involving the rehabilitation of the Bucharest-Constanta railway.

The Justice Ministry said Friday it had been informed by UK authorities, through the Crown Prosecution Service, that 1,415,794 pounds had been seized from Cristian Alexandru Boureanu.

The seizure followed an enforcement request submitted by the Justice Ministry in 2024, acting as the central authority, at the request of the Bucharest Tribunal's First Criminal Division. The legal basis for the request was the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

In March 2022, Boureanu was initially sentenced by the Supreme Court to four years and three months in prison for influence peddling in the corruption case involving a 20-million-euro bribe for the rehabilitation of the Bucharest-Constanta railway. On appeal, the same court overturned his conviction in May 2023 on the grounds that the offences had become time-barred.

In the same case, former Finance Minister Sebastian Vladescu (Cristian Boureanu's godfather) was sentenced to seven years and four months, while Mircea Ionut Costea (Mircea Geoana's brother-in-law) was sentenced to six years. A panel headed by Lia Savonea subsequently overturned their convictions on the grounds that the offences had become time-barred.

The defendants are nevertheless required to pay the damages, which in Boureanu's case amount to 2.1 million euros.

'The measure enforces the special confiscation of 2,111,799 euros ordered by Criminal Judgment No. 127 of March 24, 2022 of the High Court of Cassation and Justice - Criminal Division, in case No. 2987/1/2019. The judgment became final through Criminal Decision No. 48 of May 26, 2023, issued by a five-judge panel of the Supreme Court. The enforcement procedure took time. Throughout the process, the Justice Ministry, together with the Bucharest Tribunal, consistently supported the request and responded to every request for additional information from the UK authorities until the procedure was completed. Recovering proceeds of crime, including assets held in other countries, remains a constant priority for the Justice Ministry. In recent years, the ministry has stepped up its efforts in this area, both through its role as the central authority for international judicial cooperation and through the National Agency for the Management of Seized Assets, which it oversees. In the coming period, the Justice Ministry and UK authorities will determine how the confiscated funds will be distributed,' the Justice Ministry said.

'Since 2011, when I established the Asset Recovery Office within the Justice Ministry, later becoming ANABI, I have advocated focusing efforts on recovering damages and proceeds of crime in general, applying the 'follow the money' principle. Applied systematically and consistently, this principle is a very powerful 'weapon' in combating corruption, tax evasion and crime in general. The Justice Ministry and ANABI will continue this policy, supporting the efforts of the judicial system in this direction,' interim Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu said. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Eusebi Manolache; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)