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Romania Jails Ex-Minister Over Microsoft Licenses

Posted by EditorDavid on from the embezzling-us-all dept.

"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.

6 of 69 comments (clear)

  1. Correction by penguinoid · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Romania Jails Ex-Minister Over embezzlement.

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    1. Re:Correction by Teun · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I believe the MS part is significant for transparency as a 47% discount means their catalogue price is fully unrealistic and others should be able to follow up.

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      "The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
  2. Should have switched to LibreOffice. by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 5, Funny

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

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    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  3. Not just in the ex eastern block by Teun · · Score: 4, Funny

    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...

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    "The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
  4. Governments shouldn't use proprietary software by Stormwatch · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It should be illegal for governments to use proprietary software in the first place. Do as you wish as an individual, or a private enterprise, but public data cannot be subjected to vendor lock-in. And as governments are supposed to serve the public good (wishful thinking much?), they should promote the development of Free software.

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    Circumcision is child abuse.
  5. Re:Corporate corruption meets government corruptio by lucm · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Just for fun call the US GAO and ask them to give you a ball park figure as to how much public money is wasted in the federal government. The answer is: they have no fucking idea how to even start figuring out an answer. The only true answer they can give is that there's 1/2 billion wasted each year in having a GAO.

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    lucm, indeed.