The head of Romania's Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF) was retained for 24 hours by National Anticorruption Department (DNA) prosecutors on Tuesday, who are calling for a 30-day preventive arrest in a case related to ASF officials accused of protecting the interests of an insurance company. DNA also called on Tuesday for a criminal inquiry against former Finance minister Daniel Chitoriu in the same case.

Both Daniel Chitoiu and Dan Radu Rusanu are seen as prominent Liberals. Neither holds a leadership position within the National Liberal Party (PNL), currently a part of the governing coalition, and Rusanu has suspended his membership when named head of the Financial Supervisory Authority a year ago. They are seen as a Liberal wing closer to PM Victor Ponta's Social Democrats, the major partner of the governing coalition with whom Senate speaker and presidential hopeful Crin Antonescu's PNL has been clashing lately.

DNA prosecutors have extended a criminal inquiry against Rusanu under charges of aiding felons and influencing statements in the ASF-Carpatica Asig case, in which top ASF officials are accused of illegally protecting the interests of insurer Carpatica Asig.

The criminal inquiry against ASF head Rusanu had been ordered on February 21.

Also on Tuesday, the DNA has called for a criminal inquiry against former Finance minister Daniel Chitoiu, accused of abuse in office and the formation of an organised crime group in the same ASF-Carpatica Asig case, according to a DNA press release. Chitoiu and his wife, who serves as director within ASF, are the godparents of Dan Radu Rusanu. Chitoiu's wife had already been placed under criminal inquiry in the case.

Prosecutors on Tuesday said there were "reasonable clues" that Daniel Chitoiu has initiated an emergency ordinance in October 2013 to support the "criminal group formed to favor the interests of Carpatica ASIG S.A.," despite the absence of a real emergency situation and by skipping procedures regulated by a previous governmental decision.

The said ordinance, which has been adopted by the government, made possible the replacement of a top member of the ASF Council and his replacement who was "due to guarantee in an illegal manner the protection of financial interests of S.C. Carpatica ASIG S.A.", according to the DNA.