Anti-corruption prosecutors have sent former deputy PM George Copos, a politician mostly known as a businessman, to court on charges related to tax evasion amounting to 1 million euro on Tuesday.

A representative of the Conservative Party (PC, a junior member of the governing coalition), Copos will have to answer to charges related to shady real estate deals with the Romanian Lottery, which the media have suggested are the real cause of his resignation from the government earlier this month.

PC representatives told Hotnews.ro that the party fully supported Copos both politically and before the Romanian justice.

Copos’ resignation on June 1 left room for PC president Dan Voiculescu to be nominated for the seat of deputy prime minister this week.

Upon his resignation, Copos claimed he opted to leave the government in protest to the draft Fiscal Code approved by fellow ministers and due to be debated in the Parliament today.