Brasov magistrates reject pre-trial arrest of Cercel and place him under court supervision

Magistrates of the Brasov Tribunal rejected on Friday evening the proposal of the National Aticorruption Directorate (DNA) prosecutors to place senior official with the Transport Ministry Ninel Cercel under pre-trial arrest, placing him under court supervision. 

DNA filed an appeal against the measure taken by magistrates, spokesperson of the Brasov Tribunal judge Gabriela Ciolacu told AGERPRES. 

The sitting where state secretary Ninel Cercel was heard started at 20:00hrs and ended around 21:45hrs. 

PM Mihai Tudose removed Ninel Cercel from his office as state secretary with the Transport Ministry and the decision was published on Friday evening in the Official Journal of Romania. 

DNA prosecutors on Friday ordered senior official with the Transport Ministry Ninel Cercel to be detained over blackmail after he had taken action to remove from office the manager of the Brasov Regional Freight Centre (CZM) so that privately-owned transport companies may obtain a freight contract with chemicals works Azo Mures SA to the detriment of the CFR Marfa national freight railway corporation. 

According to DNA, Cercel allegedly used as a pretext to dismiss the head of the CZM Brasov a fire that broke out on a freight train carrying ammonium nitrate on October 31, although the incident did not take place in the area under his responsibility. 

Cercel was summoned before the Brasov Tribunal, to be served a 30-day pre-trial detention order.