Vlach
03-04-2014, 02:05 PM
Several Romanian business people involved in fixing transfers of football players were recently sentenced to jail, with different charges. The former owner of FC Rapid football club, George Copos, also a hotel owner in Romania, was convicted to three years and eight months in jail, without parole. The sentence is final.
Another former football team owner, Cristian Borcea, former owner of FC Dinamo football club, received a six years and four months jail sentence, also without parole.
The general manager of the FC Steaua football club, Mihai Stoica, was sentenced to three and a half years in jail, also without parole. At the same time, former match maker Ioan Becali got six years and four months in jail, without parole.
All sentences issued by the Bucharest Court of Appeal are final, which means the four Romanians will have to serve time. Ioan Becali would thus join his cousin Gigi Becali, who is currently doing time for corruption in a land exchange deal. Gigi Becali is the owner of the Steaua football club.
All the jail sentences were reduced on appeal, compared to the initial court decisions.
The court found that the four people caused a total prejudice of around USD 1.5 million to the Romanian state, and of around USD 10 million to several football clubs, in a file involving rigged transfers of 12 football players. The transfers, which happened between 1999 and 2005, involved football players from local teams, such as Dinamo Bucureşti, Rapid Bucureşti, Gloria Bistriţa and Oţelul Galaţi, to football teams abroad.
The trial started in 2008, and in 2012, George Copos, Mihai Stoica, Cristi Borcea, Jean Pădureanu, Ioan Becali, Victor Becali, Gheorghe Popescu and Gheorghe Nețoiu were initially acquitted. The prosecutors however appealed the decision, and the court found in their favor, sending the defendants to jail.
George Copos, the owner of Athenee Palace Hilton and Crowne Plaza hotels in Bucharest, sold the Rapid football club in 2013. Cristi Borcea sold the Dinamo Football Clujb in 2012.
editor@romania-insider.com
http://www.romania-insider.com/former-romanian-football-club-owners-managers-sentenced-to-jail-without-parole-for-fixing-transfers-decision-is-final/116566/
Another former football team owner, Cristian Borcea, former owner of FC Dinamo football club, received a six years and four months jail sentence, also without parole.
The general manager of the FC Steaua football club, Mihai Stoica, was sentenced to three and a half years in jail, also without parole. At the same time, former match maker Ioan Becali got six years and four months in jail, without parole.
All sentences issued by the Bucharest Court of Appeal are final, which means the four Romanians will have to serve time. Ioan Becali would thus join his cousin Gigi Becali, who is currently doing time for corruption in a land exchange deal. Gigi Becali is the owner of the Steaua football club.
All the jail sentences were reduced on appeal, compared to the initial court decisions.
The court found that the four people caused a total prejudice of around USD 1.5 million to the Romanian state, and of around USD 10 million to several football clubs, in a file involving rigged transfers of 12 football players. The transfers, which happened between 1999 and 2005, involved football players from local teams, such as Dinamo Bucureşti, Rapid Bucureşti, Gloria Bistriţa and Oţelul Galaţi, to football teams abroad.
The trial started in 2008, and in 2012, George Copos, Mihai Stoica, Cristi Borcea, Jean Pădureanu, Ioan Becali, Victor Becali, Gheorghe Popescu and Gheorghe Nețoiu were initially acquitted. The prosecutors however appealed the decision, and the court found in their favor, sending the defendants to jail.
George Copos, the owner of Athenee Palace Hilton and Crowne Plaza hotels in Bucharest, sold the Rapid football club in 2013. Cristi Borcea sold the Dinamo Football Clujb in 2012.
editor@romania-insider.com
http://www.romania-insider.com/former-romanian-football-club-owners-managers-sentenced-to-jail-without-parole-for-fixing-transfers-decision-is-final/116566/