Justice Minister Alina Gorghiu announced on Tuesday that a Maltese court of first instance ruled that fugitive Paul-Philippe of Romania, who was sentenced to three years and four months in prison for buying influence, complicity in abuse of office and causing the state budget a loss of 9.5 million euros, should be extradited.

„It’s a much-awaited decision by the Justice Ministry and the Romanian state, which make constant efforts to bring the fugitives to the country,” Gorghiu wrote on Facebook, mentioning that the ruling can be appealed.

„I thank my colleagues from the Justice Ministry, the National Administration of Penitentiaries, the enforcement court and all the authorities who contributed to this solution being handed down. 383 fugitives were brought to Romania until mid-June, with the UK topping the list of the countries they were returned from, followed by Germany. Let me remind you that the ‘Fugitive pays’ law is in force since June 7. Beginning with this date, all fugitives are obliged to bear the costs of their being brought back to the country. Meanwhile, we are waiting for the Constitutional Court ruling on the law that equates absconding the execution of the sentence with the crime of escape,” the Justice minister also wrote.

AGERPRES