Prosecutors: Romanian PM Victor Ponta facing graft trial

Romania's Prime Minister Victor Ponta is to face trial for corruption, the country's anti-graft prosecutors said Thursday.

The 42-year-old Social Democratic leader, who denies the charges, will be the first Romanian head of government to stand trial while still in office.

Ponta was taking part in a meeting of the Eastern European country's defence council on the migrant crisis hitting the EU when prosecutors from the DNA anti-corruption agency made the announcement.

He was charged on Monday with fraud, tax evasion and money laundering dating back to 2007, five years before he became prime minister. The DNA said some of his assets have been frozen pending the outcome of the case.

Dozens of former politicians and judges have been swept up in investigations launched by the agency in one of Europe's poorest and graft-plagued countries.

The mayor of the capital Bucharest, Sorin Oprescu, was the latest to be taken into custody on Saturday night on suspicion of taking kickbacks on municipal tenders.

Source: AFP