Romania Jails Ex-Minister Over Microsoft Licenses

"A former minister and three others have been handed jail sentences for corruption in Romania in a case linked to Microsoft software licenses," reports Balkan Insight. Prosecutors said the officials had embezzled the entire 47% discount Microsoft offered the Romanian government in a five-year, $105 million contract to supply schools and other public institutions with Microsoft Office licenses. Jail terms up to three years were also handed to a former mayor and two other businessmen who acted as middlemen, and the four defendants were also fined almost 10 million euros. While the court's sentence is not final, "prosecutors said there was manifest corruption in the contract," the article reports, with the officials admitting to the charges in exchange for a one-third reduction in their jail sentences.

Comments

Should have switched to LibreOffice.

[Gravis Zero]

LibreOffice would have enabled him to embezzle all $105 million. ;)

Not just in the ex eastern block

[Teun]

First I wanted to post this as AC but then decided one day I need to come clean anyway.

I installed Kubuntu including Libreoffice on the missus computer and never told her I took the 100% discount...

Re:Not just in the ex eastern block

[Anonymous Coward]

I once installed Ubuntu on my GF's laptop.

She booted it and gave me a puzzled look, "You-bunt-oo?"

I shrugged, "That's Swahili for Windows".

She beamed with joy, "Oh! I heard about this. It's, like, an expensive version where some money also goes to Africa!? You're such a nice guy."

She still proudly uses the "Windows of the Developing World", and I keep reaping the benefits of her "upgrade" for myself -- I never had the heart to tell her it cost me nothing and her misunderstanding was over a bad joke.

Captcha: Consent.