Boldea was indicted on March 16 but according to Romanian authorities, police have been searching for him since he left the country on March 19th - the same day that the Parliament lifted his immunity from prosecution. He first went to Bulgaria, then to Turkey, from where he boarded a plane to a unknown locations before ending up in Kenya.
Boldea told Romania TV that he had no intention of fleeing from the law, and did not know that his immunity was lifted. With an Interpol arrest warrant issued for him, and facing the prospect of being imprisoned in Interpol member Kenya, he told Romanian TV he turned himself in to Romanian authorities in Kenya.. Romanian authorities have not confirmed whether or not Boldea handed himself in.
Boldea’s lawyer George Moloman said Monday that he is working on bringing his client back to Romania in the next two days, as soon as the required paperwork is in order, and he is able to find Boldea a seat on a flight.
Codrut Olaru, the Chief Prosecutor at the Anti-Organised Crime and Anti Terrorism Division (DIICOT) in Bucharest, told a press conference on March 22 that an arrest warrant was issued for Boldea for fraud and intellectual forgery. Boldea and another nine suspects from the south-east Romanian town of Galati are charged with fraud and document forgery. Using forged documents, the suspects allegedly took possession of land and buildings seized by the court. Afterwards, they sold this land at a high price to buyers who were unaware that the sellers obtained the land illegally. The estimated damage caused by the suspects is around €1 million (US$1.33 million).
These findings emerged after authorities raided 14 houses in the second week of March and seized computers and other material evidence belonging to the organized crime group.
Boldea’s father and brother were also charged with money laundering.
