The former head of ISCIR Constanța, suspended sentence after admitting that he took a bribe. He took the rope to give certificates for machinery
The former head of ISCIR Constanța, Mihai Cornel Popescu, accused of taking bribes to facilitate the obtaining of approvals and qualifications necessary for the use of industrial facilities and equipment, concluded a plea agreement with DNA prosecutors, as a result of which he escaped with a suspended sentence of two years and four months in prison.
DNA sent information about the investigation. PHOTO FB DNA
According to DNA – Constanța Territorial Service, the investigation concerned three people. In addition to Popescu, the prosecutors concluded recognition agreements with an inspector from CNCIR Constanța, George Adrian Carataș, accused of taking bribes in a continuous form, as well as with an employee of a company, investigated for complicity.
According to the investigators, between October 2025 and January 2026, Popescu would have received 2,400 lei from the representative of a commercial company to declare several employees admitted to examinations regarding the operation of some installations and machines, including for obtaining the RSVTI certificate. In some situations, the money would have been received through the employee of the company involved. Also, Popescu would have allowed access to confidential information, such as subjects and grading scales.
“The sums would have been received to admit the company's employees in order to use some facilities/equipment in its warehouse, to admit an employee who had taken the group expansion exam required to handle some equipment, as well as to admit four candidates who took the exam to obtain the RSVTI operator's certificate (Responsible for the Supervision and Technical Verification of Installations)”, explains DNA, in a statement.
In two of the situations, the defendant would have received the sums of money through the defendant GM, an employee of the respective company.
“In the same context and during the same period, the defendant Popescu Mihai Cornel would have allowed some employees of the company access to confidential information regarding the organization and conduct of the mentioned exams, respectively the related subjects and correction scales”, it shows DNA.
Caught in the act
On January 28, 2026, Popescu was caught in the act while receiving 700 lei.
In another episode, Carataș allegedly received goods worth more than 2,100 lei to draw up favorable inspection reports for a company's machinery.
“Between September 22 and December 17, 2025, the defendant Carataș George Adrian, as an inspector within CNCIR Constanța, allegedly received from the representative of a commercial company (witness in question) goods in the total value of 2,102.57 lei, in direct connection with the performance of his duties, respectively to draw up favorable inspection reports regarding the machinery of the respective company. The anti-corruption prosecutors proposed to the court the confiscation of the sum of 1,700 lei from the defendant Popescu Mihai Cornel, effectively received by him as a bribe, and the sum of 2,102.57 lei from the defendant Carataș George Adrian, representing the value of the goods actually received as a bribe”, it is also shown in the communiqué.
“They fully accepted their actions and had an honest attitude during the investigations”
The DNA requests the confiscation of the sums received as bribes and instituted a seizure on the money of the two officials. All three defendants admitted the facts, and the files were sent to the Constanța Court, with the proposal to maintain the protective measures:
“We make it clear that the three defendants fully accepted the facts committed and had a sincere attitude during the investigations, the details provided to the anti-corruption prosecutors leading to the concrete establishment of the entire state of facts. In the presence of the lawyers, the three defendants expressly declared that they recognize the commission of the acts held against them, accept the legal framework for which the criminal actions were initiated and agree with the type and amount of the penalties applied, as well as with the form of their execution“, DNA also transmits.
– for the defendant POPESCU MIHAI CORNEL, a sentence of 2 years and 4 months in prison, with the suspension of the execution of the sentence for the duration of a 4-year supervision period;
– for the defendant CARATAȘ GEORGE ADRIAN, a sentence of 2 years in prison, with the suspension of the execution of the sentence for a period of 3 years of supervision;
– for the defendant GM, a sentence of 2 years in prison, with the suspension of the execution of the sentence for a period of 3 years of supervision.
Also, the three defendants were ordered, for a period of 2 years, in addition to the main punishments applied, and the complementary punishment of the prohibition of certain rights, from the date of the definitive stay of the conviction by which the suspension of the execution of the punishment under supervision was ordered, respectively the right to be elected in public authorities or in any other public positions and the right to occupy a position that involves the exercise of state authority.
“The three defendants declared that they agree to perform unpaid work for the benefit of the community. The criminal investigation files and the plea agreements concerning the three defendants were submitted to the Constanța Court, with the proposal to maintain the preventive measures ordered in the case”. it is stated in the DNA press release.
