The deputy chief of Romania's intelligence agency has been cleared of involvement with a fugitive media boss but will nonetheless quit the post, officials said Tuesday. Florian Coldea was suspended last week while the SRI intelligence service probed his links to Sebastian Ghita, the head of a private TV station and a former lawmaker.
Ghita is being investigated for alleged corruption, fraud and tax evasion and has been on the run since December. "The probe by a special commission has not revealed any violation of laws or internal rules by Mr Coldea," the SRI said in a statement. But it said Coldea would however resign to avoid "damage" to the SRI's activities. Ghita last week accused Coldea and the head of Romania's DNA anti-corruption agency, Laura Codruta Kovesi, of fabricating cases.
He also said that he had paid for luxury hotels, notably in the Seychelles, for Coldea and his family. The parliament on Monday announced the creation of a commission to investigate the claims.
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