Romania’s National Ant-Corruption Directorate (DNA) has filed a request to launch a criminal investigation into nine former ministers for bribery, money laundering and office misconduct over a Microsoft licensing contract, said the DNA.

Between 2004 and 2012, the DNA says the ministers backed an illegal contract with Fujitsu Siemens Company to lease Microsoft licenses at inflated prices, allowing some of them to embezzle a 47 percent discount given by Microsoft to the Romanian government.

The directorate says that of the US$ 54 million paid by government under the contract, US$ 20 million ended up in the pockets of state officials.

This is the biggest corruption scandal to hit the country, just weeks ahead of the presidential elections, reports Euronews.

According to EU Observer, tens of millions of Euros have been hidden in offshore accounts linked to politicians. The presidential election campaign officially began Oct. 3 and could be troublesome for presidential candidates Victor Ponta and Elena Udrea.

Ponta is the current prime minister and heads the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and Udrea is the leader of the Popular Movement (PMP).  Senior officials and close friends in their parties are implicated in the scandal.

The former ministers have denied the allegations, reports Euractiv.

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