By Jaroslaw Adamowski
June 12 – Otelul Galati has announced plans to find a new investor who can put the Romanian club’s finances into order. But with its owner Dan Adamescu, who is said to be the second-richest Romanian, recently arrested over charges of bribery, the club could have difficulties in finding a suitable partner.
Narcis Raducan, the club’s director general, told local news site Prosport.ro he has been trying to convince Adamescu to pay at least one month of the four outstanding salaries to Otelul’s squad.
“One of the options would be to find investors [for the club],” Raducan said. “We have been mandated to explore such a solution.”
Meanwhile, the personal legal troubles of Otelul’s owner could further contribute to the club’s instability.
In June, the Bucharest Court of Appeals ruled to place Adamescu under preventive arrest for a period of 30 days following a motion filed by the prosecutors from the country’s National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA). The businessman is accused of bribing two judges who were involved in an insolvency case of one of his companies in December 2013.
Otelul won the Romanian championship in 2011, and in September 2012 the club was taken over by Nova Group, an entity controlled by Adamescu.
The businessman also owns insurance company Astra Asigurari, hotels, a shopping centre, and daily newspaper Libera. In 2013, Forbes Romania estimated he was the second-richest Romanian, with assets worth about €950 million.
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