Gabriel Daraban, former director of Oil Terminal, was detained by DIICOT in the case concerning tax evasion involving diesel fuel

Gabriel Daraban, former commercial director of Oil Terminal, was detained by DIICOT prosecutors in a case concerning the establishment of an organized criminal group and tax evasion in the diesel fuel trading chain, judicial sources told AGERPRES. His detention took place one day after his resignation from the position he held at the company.

Businessman Gheorghe Chealfă, who is active in the oil industry, was also detained in the same case. On Thursday, DIICOT prosecutors and officers of the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime carried out 46 searches in Bucharest and in the counties of Constanța, Bacău, Prahova, Galați and Ilfov.

The investigation concerns the alleged evasion of payment of VAT and excise duties related to the sale of petroleum products, as well as offenses involving the illegal acquisition of funds, fraud, rigging public tenders and abuse of office. Among those targeted are customs officials from Constanța, an ANAF official from Bacău, and employees of Oil Terminal and CEC Bank.

According to DIICOT, the group was allegedly established in 2023 by four people, who were subsequently joined by other members. Prosecutors stated that, so far, there is no evidence that the diesel fuel sold came from distributors in the Russian Federation. Gabriel Daraban is the brother of Mihai Daraban, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania.