PRESS RELEASE

The Public Information and Press Relations Bureau within the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice is authorized to bring to public knowledge the following:

Following the investigations in a file having as object offences  related to  the case, known by the media as “frauds on the occasion of the referendum” the prosecutors of the Section  for criminal pursuit and forensic within the Prosecutor's Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice have carried out investigations against the presidents of  polling stations within the Olt county and against other persons.

Thus, on 23.12.2012, the prosecutors ordered the  initiating of the criminal prosecution against the defendants: TATOMIR FLORENTIN SLVIUS,  the president of a polling station in Piatra Olt (24 material acts), DAVIDESCU LIVIU, the president of a polling station in Scornicesi (3 material act), PAUN EMILIAN, the president of another polling station in Piatra Olt (12 material acts), MIHAI SICA, RADU VALERIA,  president of  a polling station from Scornicesti, Rusciori village (4 material acts), MARINESCU DRAGOS IONUT,  the president of another polling station in Scornicesti (19 material acts), OLARU FLOREA, the president of  a polling station  in the locality  Chiteasca (13 material acts), GHERGHE OVIDIU MARIAN, the president of another polling station in Scornicesti (5 material acts), TUDOSIE ELENA, the  president of a polling station in Leotesti Village (4 material acts), RADU DUMITRU, SISU ANI,  president of a polling station of the Constituency  no.  30, Olt County (44 material acts), CUMPANASU VERGINICA, president of  a polling station  within the  Constituency  no. 30 Olt County (2 material acts), IORDACHE GEORGE CRISTIAN, president of a polling station in the village of Bobicesti, STANCA IONELA ANDREEA , STANCA VERGINICA, GHITA DUMITRU (2 material acts), PORUMBIEL LIVIU, president of a polling station  within the Constituency no. 30, Olt County (3 material acts), STIRLEA GEORGETA, president of a polling station in the Constituency no. 30, Olt County (8 material acts), MITRAN ELENA, president of a polling station in the locality of Colonesti (16 material acts), IOVA FLORINA, president of a polling section  in the locality of Balanesti (16 material acts), SIMA MARIA, president of a polling station in the locality Dejesti (11 material acts), PIELARU MARIA, president of a polling station in the community Colonesti, village Guesti (15 material acts), POPESCU MARIA, president of a polling station in the Constituency no. 30, Olt County (6 material acts), DIACONESCU FLORIN, president of a polling station in the constituency no. 30 Olt County (13 material acts), for committing the offences  provided  by art. 54  or 55  of Law 3/2000.

The following resulted from the resolution for initiating the criminal prosecution, drawn up by the prosecutors:

On 29.07.2012, the defendants have used different proceedings in order to introduce into the ballot boxes a supplementary number of voting papers than those voted by the electors, falsifying some mentions, either on the permanent lists, either on the supplementary lists, which leaded to situations of multiple votes, respectively to fraudulent votes.

For example, at the 18  polling station, the presidents of which are the  defendants in the present case, there have been identified between 10 and 78  situations of fraudulent votes (per station), these consisting, usually, in falsifying of signatures on the permanent lists or on the supplementary lists, near names of persons who either were absent from the country, either didn’t appear at the polling station, or even were deceased.

Regarding the other defendants, into their responsibility was held, that they either led other persons to several polling stations in order that these should vote several times, either they themselves have voted several times.

We mention, that the initiating of criminal prosecution is a stage of the criminal process, regulated by the Criminal Procedure Code, aiming to the creation of the  procedural framework for  administration of  evidence, activity which in no situation can infringe the principle of innocence presumption.