Romanian Road Authority Director Cristian Anton Investigated After €350,000 Cash Discovery

Romanian anticorruption prosecutors discovered 350,000 euros in cash during searches at the home and office of Cristian Anton, director of the Romanian Road Authority, on March 31, 2026, as part of a corruption investigation into bribery at freight driver certification exams. The National Anticorruption Directorate confirmed the searches in an official press release, stating that investigators executed court-authorized warrants at 23 locations across Bucharest and the counties of Bacău, Dolj, Timiș, and Vâlcea. Anton also served as chief of staff to Sorin Grindeanu during Grindeanu's tenure as Minister of Transport. The case has drawn political attention given Anton's ties to one of Romania's most prominent political figures.

Cash found in lei and euros across multiple locations The total sum recovered by investigators consisted of 77,000 Romanian lei in cash and over 300,000 euros, bringing the combined equivalent to approximately 350,000 euros, according to sources cited by Digi24. The searches targeted 23 locations in total, including one public institution headquarters, as well as private residences and commercial company offices. The DNA Cluj Territorial Service is leading the investigation, which covers alleged offenses committed from 2025 to the present. Prosecutors are examining suspicions of bribe-taking, bribe-giving, influence peddling, the formation of an organized criminal group, and the disclosure of information. According to judicial sources cited by Digi24, individuals seeking to obtain professional certification for freight transport drivers allegedly paid bribes ranging between 600 and 1,500 euros in exchange for exam subjects. 23 (locations) — search warrants executed across five Romanian jurisdictions

Grindeanu distances himself, calls for accountability Sorin Grindeanu, identified in source articles as the head of the Social Democratic Party, responded publicly to the searches shortly after they became known. Grindeanu said he did not know the details of the case but expressed a personal hope that Anton would be found innocent. He nonetheless drew a firm line on legal accountability, regardless of a person's political proximity or former role. „Whoever does not respect the law must pay. I do not know the details. I wish for him, personally, to be innocent. But, I repeat to you, if someone makes a mistake, it does not matter if they were a cabinet director or a minister and so on, whoever does not respect the law pays” — Sorin Grindeanu via Agerpres Grindeanu previously served as Prime Minister of Romania and later as Minister of Transport, during which time Anton worked as his chief of staff.

Organized criminal group suspected of running exam bribery scheme The DNA's official statement described the investigation as targeting an organized criminal group allegedly operating since 2025, with the scheme centered on the professional certification process for freight transport drivers. Prosecutors allege that exam subjects were sold to candidates in exchange for cash payments, undermining the integrity of a licensing process that governs road safety and commercial transport standards. The investigation is being handled by the DNA's Cluj Territorial Service, a regional branch of the national anticorruption body. Romania's DNA was established in 2002 and has since prosecuted hundreds of high-profile corruption cases involving politicians, judges, and public officials. The agency operates under the supervision of the Prosecutor General and has been subject to periodic political pressure over its independence. Professional certification exams for transport drivers are administered under the authority of the Romanian Road Authority, a public institution under the Transport Ministry. The breadth of the searches — spanning five counties and the capital — suggests investigators believe the scheme involved a network of individuals rather than isolated actors. No charges had been formally announced as of the time of the searches on March 31, 2026.