Legal entities will be punished criminally for corruption acts

The company managers and legal entities that they represent will be punished criminally for acts of corruption, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting amendments to the Penal Code approved by the Government. For writing or using an invoice or any other bookkeeping document that contains false or incomplete information and not including a payment in the financial accounts with the aim of reducing the tax base or hiding certain illegal acts, the company managers will be fined 1 000 conventional units (a c.u. is equal to 20 lei), 180 to 240 hours of community service, or imprisonment of up to three years. They will also be banned from holding a particular post or carry out a particular activity for up to five years. The legal entity will be punished with a fine of 1 000 to 2 500 conventional units. According to Viorel Chetraru, the head of the Center for Combating Corruption and Economic Crime (CCCEC), the amendments are designed to institute criminal punishment for inefficient management that leads to corruption acts or money laundering. An amendment to the Law on the CCCEC suggests banning the employees who continue work for the Center from holding posts in the public administration, at companies, state institutions and organizations. The amendment to article 17 of the law on the enforcement system says that in case of flagrant offenses, the bailiff will be arrested, searched and the documents and goods found on him will be seized. The formulation of the given amendments is part of a broad process of adjusting the national anticorruption legislation to the European and international standards.