Ana Maria Patru

Prosecutors from Romania's National Anticorruption Directorate on Tuesday arrested the head of the Permanent Electoral Authority, AEP, Ana Maria Patru, and charged her with influence peddling and money laundering.

Patru, 40, faces three accounts of influence peddling and two accounts of money laundering committed between 2007 and 2015.

National Anticorruption Directorate prosecutors carried out searches on Tuesday at the Permanent Electoral Authority, AEP headquarters in Bucharest.

Their target was the head of the AEP, Ana Maria Patru, who according to Anticorruption Directorate sources is under investigation for alleged influence peddling and possible money laundering committed from 2008 to 2015.

The Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP) is organizing, on Saturday and Sunday, an electoral observation program for the elections for the President of Romania with international participation during which participants can familiarize themselves with the AEP's activity and the electoral system in place for the presidential elections of November 2.