The ex-president of Banca de Economii (BEM) Grigore Gachikevich was arrested by officers of the National Anticorruption Center within a new criminal case concerning the violation of the lending rules at the bank when he managed BEM. Initially, he will stay in custody for 72 hours, IPN reports.

According to the National Anticorruption Center, three economic entities had been illegally issued with loans to the value of 260 000 000 lei. Under the legislation, the violation of lending rules carries a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment.

Five persons from the former administration of BEM have been charged in similar cases so far. In a new hearing on December 1, the judges merged a number of criminal cases concerning the frauds committed at BEM. Among those accused are the former heads of the Lending, Security and Law Divisions.