Romanian official gets 8 years for taking bribe

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A court has convicted a Romanian consumer protection official of taking a bribe and sentenced him to eight years in prison.

The Bucharest Appeals Court sentenced Ionel Spataru to eight years in prison Wednesday on charges that he demanded a bribe of €70,000 ($95,000) in exchange for issuing a permit for a private company to reopen a market. The sentence can be appealed.

Spataru told the court the money was for the local branch of the governing Democratic Liberal Party, which is facing parliamentary elections next year. Party officials have dismissed the accusations.

Spataru's lawyer Lorrette Luca said the three-week trial was suspiciously speedy for Romania and meant that her client had not received a fair trial. Trials often last for years in Romania.