Romania’s Most Powerful Man Sent to Prison for Corruption
- Ruling party boss starts three-and-a-half-year jail sentence
- Case is latest blow to nation already locked in spat with EU
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Romania’s de facto leader was sent to prison for three-and-a-half years for corruption, shaking the Black Sea nation as it clashes with the European Union over concerns it’s curbing judicial independence.
The guilty verdict against ruling-party boss Liviu Dragnea for abuse of office was upheld Monday by the Supreme Court, adding to a previous vote-rigging conviction that carried a suspended jail term. It was the third blow to his Social Democrats in two days after an unexpected defeat in Sunday’s European Parliament elections and a referendum that will block part of its efforts to overhaul the courts.