Valeriu Stoica joins Constanda in 200m-euro trial with Bucharest City Hall

Stoica & Asociaţii law firm, run by Valeriu Stoica, former justice minister and one of the most powerful barristers, was hired by Costică Constanda in one of the "heftiest" cases in Romania: the businessman is asking for 200m euros in compensation from the Bucharest City Hall and Bucharest Municipal Council for the French Village-Bordei affair, which started more than seven years ago, when President Traian Băsescu was Bucharest's mayor, from some property rights purchased for several hundred thousand euros.

Constanda, a name that has made media headlines with this case, in the dispute around the plot of land of Bordei Park, has already paid 1.5m euros as a stamp duty to go on trial and ask for 200m-euro damages, with the process that started last year having had seven hearings so far.

Valeriu Stoica, who is also the vice-president of the ruling party, PD-L, says he also represented Costică Constanda in the deal with Raptis Kavouras Greek group, through which the businessman tried to sell part of the French Village, and this is why it is his duty to go on with this case. "I am a lawyer, I'm defending clients' interests," Stoica said.

Market sources say Stoica also talked with the representatives of the Municipal Council to represent them in this case, namely go against Constanda.

Stoica is the third law firm Constanda hired to represent him in this case, after the firms run by Gheorghe Florea and Traian Briciu, in their turn two renowned litigation lawyers, while the Bucharest City Hall is represented by bpv Grigorescu Ştefănică and the Municipal Council will go ahead with Ştefan, Burecu şi Asociaţii, Olteanu şi Asociaţii and George Iulian Stancov.