Romanian prosecutors seize Rompetrol Rafinare assets pending probe

Rompetrol Rafinare SA

09/05/2016 10:59

BUCHAREST, May 9 (Reuters) - Romanian prosecutors said on 
Monday they had seized assets including the Petromidia refinery 
belonging to oil group Rompetrol Rafinare  RORRC.BX  and to its 
parent, Kazakhstan's KazMunaiGas in a wider investigation. 
    Prosecutors said 14 suspects that were associated with the 
company, its parent and other firms formed a trans-border 
criminal group in 1998 to mislead Romanian authorities over the 
privatisation of then Rompetrol group. 
    They said the suspects, which were under investigation, 
caused damages worth 1.72 billion lei ($436.67 million), $290.8 
million and 34.9 million euros  ($39.74 million) through fraud, 
tax evasion, money laundering and manipulating the capital 
market. 
    They have seized the assets of Rompetrol Rafinare, Oilfield 
Business Exploration Solutions and KazMunaiGas pending the 
investigation. 
($1 = 3.9389 lei) 
($1 = 0.8783 euros) 
 
 (Reporting by Luiza Ilie) 
 ((luiza.ilie@thomsonreuters.com; +4021 305 5262; Reuters 
Messaging: luiza.ilie.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: ROMANIA ROMPETROL