Former UM Plopeni economic director details bribes that led to director's plea deal

Liliana Stroescu, who served as economic director at Uzina Mecanică Plopeni, provided detailed testimony to DNA investigators about a pattern of cash bribes involving businessman Vasile Brașoveanu. She said Brașoveanu placed folders containing cash on her desk, after which she consulted director Tiberiu Pîrvu on how to split the money; the director instructed her to keep half and take the other half himself, warning that refusal would upset him.

The payments occurred repeatedly between 2025 and 2026, each time involving sums in the range of tens of thousands of lei. Stroescu also disclosed that the director had borrowed money from her for his spouse’s medical expenses and that she had collected contributions from employees for his birthday, returning those funds to him. Based on the broader investigation, the director entered a plea-agreement that provides a suspended three-year sentence and 120 days of community work, which the Prahova Tribunal must now review. All accused parties in the case have similarly reached plea deals, though individual penalties have not yet been disclosed.