The searches that took place yesterday at the MediaPro buildings in Buftea led to the detention of 11 people, who are suspected of fiscal evasion and money laundry.
According to a press release from the Prosecutor’s Office under the Bucharest Court, the evidence suggests that between 2009-2014, the suspects set up and implemented various financial circuits, with the aim of committing fraud as well as laundering and recycling money from fiscal evasion, via two modus operandi.
The suspects, as representatives of several companies which offered services in media and advertising production, registered in the company books and declared to the tax authorities fictitious acquisition bills issued by 17 ghost companies, with operations in the same domain. The value of these fictitious acquisitions was transferred into the bank accounts of the ghost companies.
Secondly, the suspects delivered services to various media companies, issuing various bills for fictitious acquisitions on behalf of various ghost companies. After that, they cashed in, via the accounts of these companies, the sums paid by the beneficiary of these services.
The damages caused to the state budget are estimated at EUR 1.5 million, according to the press release, while the laundered sums totaled approximately EUR 10 million.
The suspects assets were confiscated and they may be detained for 30 days.
Otilia Haraga