Romania

Participants:
Alessandra Greceanu - judge
Adina Lupea - judge
Andreea Stoica - judge
Dana Bunea - prosecutor
Diana Mincă - legal adviser
Camelia Bogdan - judge
Raluca Galea - director of European Affairs, International Relations and Programs Department of the Superior Council of Magistracy.

Case:
A Romanian citizen is accused of laundering the proceeds and financial benefits obtained out of weapons and drugs trafficking carried out, supposedly, by the members of an organised crime network that activates in Austria.
During the year 2006, the Romanian citizen A.P. regularly received significant amounts of money in USD transferred through a Western Union system from H.S., an Austrian citizen. Criminal investigations pointed out that the reason for transferring the funds as stated in the bank receipts was 'opening a business' in Bucharest, i.e. the money was to be used to buy furniture and other assets in order to decorate a large number of luxury flats. It was also proved that these flats had already been redesigned by a commercial society and that there was no connection between this company or its employees and A.P.
The Romanian authorities requested by means of mutual legal assistance that the Austrian authorities send information about the activities of H.S. The investigations carried out by the Austrian authorities and communicated to the Romanian authorities pointed out that H.S. was currently under investigation for crimes related to weapons and drugs trafficking and that he was a member of a well known organised crime network, called Walter's Team. It was also revealed that he was likely to be convicted since, after he was caught in flagrante delicto while selling drugs, he admitted the charges against him and offered to help the Austrian authorities to apprehend other members of the network.
A.P.'s defence was that she was not aware that the money was criminally acquired by the Austrian citizen and therefore she did not intentionally commit the crime of money laundering.
Before the court, A.P. and a witness will be heard, after which the prosecutor and the defendant's lawyer will render their final pleadings that will refer to both the Romanian and EU legislation on money laundering.