Romania: 7 suspected of giving false revolution certificates

BUCHAREST, Romania — Romanian authorities have arrested seven people who are suspected of wrongly handing out certificates attesting that people played a key role in 1989 anti-communist revolution.

Prosecutors say officials at revolution organizations took money in exchange for issuing the certificates, entitling the holder to a monthly allowance of 2,000 lei ($482). The Bucharest Appeal Court ordered five arrests early Friday and two arrests Thursday.

Prosecutors say 290 people illegally benefited from the allowance, with losses of 1.29 million lei ($311,000) since January 2015.

In 2013, the government cancelled about 2,700 certificates, including of people who were 14 at the time of the revolt and former agents of the communist secret police.