Prosecutors have decided, on Thursday, to send the mayor of District 1 in Bucharest, Clotilde Armand, to trial for using her position to favor certain individuals.
Armand is accused that, between May and August 2022, as mayor, she issued an order appointing herself as the manager of the project „Improving local administrative capacity for the development, implementation, and promotion of anti-corruption measures.”
Subsequently, "the defendant issued four orders that resulted in material benefits for herself, benefiting from monthly allowance increases totaling 18,720 lei (gross income)," specified the Prosecutor's Office of District 1 Court.
The investigation started from a notification by the National Integrity Agency (ANI), made in November 2022.
ANI accuses Armand of signing several orders as mayor appointing herself as project manager and increasing her monthly allowance by up to 30%.
In March 2024, Clotilde Armand lost the lawsuit in which she requested the annulment of the ANI report declaring her incompatibility and conflict of interest.
Today, Clotilde Armand submitted her candidacy for a new term as mayor.
"I have a message for prime minister Marcel Ciolacu: Marcel, look at us carefully: We are the ones who will send you back to the bakery. I'm waiting for you here in District 1. (...)
I don't negotiate with the mafia or its supporters because I promised zero tolerance for any violation of the law, and I keep my word. The gangs of Andrei Chiliman and Dan Tudorache (former mayors) are stirring to get their hands on the sector again for more bribes and diamonds. We won't let them!", this is Clotilde Armand's message upon submitting her candidacy.
"I was looking forward to see the case in court to dismantle this entire fabrication"
Immediately after learning the news from the Prosecutor's Office, Clotilde Armand ties this event to her mayoral candidacy.
"A few hours ago, I announced my candidacy for a new term at the Mayor's Office of District 1 and submitted my candidacy to the Electoral Office.
I told Ciolacu that the United Right Alliance (the alliance supporting her) will send him back to his bakery.
Two hours later, I found out from the television that I was indicted because I implemented an anti-corruption program in local administration.
A ridiculous case, opened at the complaint of Dan Tudorache, with absurd accusations, where they invented a damage of 3,000 euros.
A case in which Marcel Ciolacu changed 4 prosecutors until he found one from the province whom he advanced to investigate me, not to mention the current prime minister attacking the independence of the judiciary at every public appearance, and Alina Gorghiu (Justice minister) becoming a tool of the PSD in demolishing the Judiciary. I was looking forward to see the case get to court to dismantle this entire fabrication," wrote on Facebook Clotilde Armand.