After Years of Litigation, Bucharest Appeal Court Acquits Digi Romania in Romanian National Anticorruption Directorate Case and Lifts Earlier Asset Seizure Rulings

Decision follows the reversal of the 2019 convictions and confirms that the alleged offences did not exist, though the ruling remains first-instance and open to appeal

• Digi Romania was acquitted in 2025 after the court ruled the alleged offences did not exist.
• Asset seizure measures imposed earlier in the case have been lifted.
• A 2019 decision had previously convicted the company and related parties.
• In 2021, the Court of Appeal overturned the 2019 ruling and ordered a retrial.
• The 2025 ruling is first-instance and may still be subject to appeal.

(NEWS) BUCHAREST, Romania, 26-Nov-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — On 25 November 2025, the Bucharest Court of Appeal handed down a first-instance ruling acquitting Digi Romania S.A. (formerly known as RCS & RDS) along with its current and former directors and all other defendants in a criminal case initiated by the Romanian National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA)., according to a press announcement made by Digi Communications N.V. on EuropaWire yesterday. The court concluded that “the alleged criminal acts do not exist,” clearing all defendants of wrongdoing and ordering the termination of a prior asset-seizure imposed on Digi Romania.

This ruling brings resolution — at least for now — to a protracted judicial saga that dates back to 2017, when the company first disclosed the DNA investigation in its initial public offering (IPO) prospectus.

Legal Backdrop: From 2019 Conviction to 2021 Appeal and Final Acquittal

• On 15 January 2019, the Bucharest Tribunal convicted RCS & RDS S.A. (Digi Romania) of money laundering, imposing a criminal fine of 1,250,000 lei, ordering confiscation of €3,100,000 plus 655,124 lei, and maintaining seizure over two real-estate assets.
• In that same 2019 decision, the related entities Integrasoft S.R.L. and certain individuals (including a former director of Digi Romania, Ioan Bendei) were also convicted; however, other directors were acquitted.
• On 1 November 2021, the Bucharest Court of Appeal quashed the 2019 Tribunal decision in its entirety — a final, unappealable judgement — granting the appeals lodged by RCS & RDS, Integrasoft, and their directors. The case was referred back for retrial by the Court of Appeal.
  

At that time, the company reaffirmed its stance that all parties had acted lawfully and declared its confidence in a fair judicial outcome.

Significance of the 2025 Ruling

The 2025 acquittal represents the culmination — for now — of the retrial process initiated after the 2021 appeal. By finding that the alleged offences “do not exist,” the Court of Appeal has effectively cleared Digi Romania and associates from all prior criminal allegations lodged by the DNA. The lifting of asset seizure further removes a major financial and operational burden on the company.

However, as the decision is first-instance (even though reached after retrial), it remains technically open to further challenge under Romanian legal procedures. The outcome, nonetheless, marks a decisive shift: what began as a serious corruption and money-laundering investigation nearly a decade ago now ends (for the moment) in complete acquittal.

Broader Context

The case — which initially concerned alleged bribery, money-laundering and related offences tied to real-estate and business transactions between Digi Romania (then RCS & RDS), third-party firms, and a 2009 joint-venture — has for years cast a shadow over the company’s legal standing and investor confidence.

With this final ruling, the company and its leadership may now look forward to greater legal clarity. Still, given the history of retrials, appeals and prolonged litigation, industry observers may watch for any further developments carefully.