Udrea's lawyer says she'll be brought before court, but extradition won't be handed out

Elena Udrea's lawyer Veronel Radulescu stated on Thursday morning that the former Transport Minister will be brought before court after being detained by the Interpol, but, from his point of view, she will not be extradited because her daughter has Costa Rican citizenship and she cannot be separated from her mother.

"Elena Udrea is currently at the Interpol headquarters in order to be brought before a court of Costa Rica. I haven't talked with Elena Undrea, I talked to Adrian [Adrian Alexandrov, who is Elena Udrea's life partner]. He told me what happened, she was near a coffee shop situated in the area where she lives in and someone from the Interpol in Costa Rica apprehended and invited her at the headquarters for the the extradition procedure at the request of the Romanian state. She will definitely be brought before the court, which will analyse all the aspects regarding this situation, including the fact that Elena Udrea has a daughter of only 10 days and it will probably take into account the asylum-seeker status which she already obtained temporary and the extradition request will be ruled on. From my point of view, [the court] won't hand out the extradition, especially because she has a daughter who has Costa Rican citizenship, with rights protected by the child protection law of Costa Rica, with one of the provisions stipulating that a child shall not be separated from the mother," the lawyer told Digi 24 private television station.

Justice Minister Tudorel Toader stated on Thursday that the procedure for Elena Udrea and Alina Bica will go through all the legal stages, adding that for him the former deputy doesn't represent a topic, being "a citizen who committed offenses and has a final sentence."

The Press Office of Romania's General Police Inspectorate (IGPR) confirmed that Elena Udrea and Alina Bica were detained by law enforcement in Costa Rica on the night of Wednesday to Thursday.

"Following the exchange of data and information through the International Police Co-operation Centre with the General Police Inspectorate, this night in Costa Rica, Udrea Elena Gabriela and Bica Alina Mihaela were tracked down and apprehended," Romania's General Police Inspectorate reported on Thursday.

The Judicial Investigation Agency with the Interpol Costa Rica Central Office, in collaboration with the National Intelligence and National Security Directorate (DIS), after investigation and monitoring stopped two Romanian women aged 44 at the request of the Romanian authorities, according to sitiooij.poder-judicial.go.cr.

A red notice was issued on Udrea in the Interpol database for bribery and abuse of office, issued by Interpol Bucharest. According to the source, Udrea was allegedly arrested on a public road, around 10:00hrs, local time, in the Sabana Oeste sector. A red notice on Alina Bica was issued in the Interpol database for bribery and corruption, also issued by Interpol Bucharest. She was arrested around 14:00hrs, local, on a street in Sabana Este.

Both were placed in the custody of the San Jose Criminal Court for appropriate action.

Elena Udrea was sentenced on June 5 by the Supreme Court of Justice to six years in prison for bribery and abuse of office in relation to a boxing bout, under a final and binding sentence.

Former head of the Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terror (DIICOT) Alina Bica was sentenced on June 26 by the Supreme Court four years in prison in a case in which she was accused of aiding and abetting in a case implicating former Minister of Economy Adriean Videanu, who was finally acquitted by the same court. AGERPRES (RO - author: Eusebi Manolache, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Rodica State, editor: Adina Panaitescu)