5.  The applicant was born in 1954 and lives in Oradea.
6.  On 29 November 2000 the prosecutor’s office attached to the Bihor County Court (“the prosecutor’s office”) discontinued the criminal proceedings which it had opened against the applicant on 24 November 2000 for bribe taking.
7.  On 10 January 2001 the prosecutor’s office attached to the Bihor Court of Appeal quashed the above-mentioned decision of its own motion and ordered that the proceedings against the applicant be reopened.
8.  On 5 February and 11 June 2001, respectively, the prosecutor’s office reopened the criminal proceedings against the applicant for bribe taking and opened criminal proceedings against him for abuse of office.
9.  On 29 July 2002 the State Agency for Capitalisation of Banking Assets (Autoritate Pentru Valorificarea Activelor Bancare – “AVAB”) joined the criminal proceedings against the applicant as a civil party. It sought the recovery of 27,863,805,105 Romanian lei (ROL) (approximately 1,758,753 US dollars (USD)), the damage that it had allegedly incurred as a result of the applicant’s abuse of office.
10. On 16 August 2002 the prosecutor’s office ordered the seizure of the applicant’s movable and immovable assets up to the value of the damage allegedly incurred by AVAB. The order was enforced by the Bihor Police Department on 19 December 2002 by seizing part of the immovable properties owned jointly by the applicant and his wife, in particular four plots of intra muros agricultural land, a home and annexes.
11.  On 29 August 2002 the prosecutor’s office indicted the applicant for bribe taking and for abuse of office and sent his case for trial.
12.  Between 7 October 2002 and 6 February 2006 the Bihor County Court (“the County Court”) adjourned the proceedings twenty-four times to allow the parties to prepare their defence, for the court to summon the parties and the witnesses, to hear evidence, and for deliberations. Also, at a hearing on 10 February 2003, the court dismissed the applicant’s challenge against the order of 16 August 2002 on the grounds that the measure was temporary and had been enforced correctly. This decision was upheld by the Oradea Court of Appeal (“the Court of Appeal”) on 11 March 2003 following an appeal by the applicant.
13.  On 13 February 2006 the County Court examined the applicant’s case on the merits and acquitted him of abuse of office. However, it held that the applicant had to pay AVAB the damages it claimed because AVAB had suffered damage as a result of his actions. Consequently, the court maintained the measure imposed on the applicant’s assets. It also convicted the applicant of bribe taking and sentenced him to three years’ imprisonment, suspended.
14.  The applicant appealed against the judgment to the Court of Appeal.
15.  Between 20 June and 11 July 2006 the Court of Appeal adjourned the proceedings twice to allow the parties to prepare their cases. On 19 September 2006 the court quashed the judgment of 13 February 2006 and referred the case back to the first-instance court for re-examination on procedural grounds.
16.  Between 30 November 2006 and 1 April 2010 the County Court adjourned the proceedings thirty-two times to allow the parties to prepare their defence, for the court-assigned expert to produce two expert reports, and for the court to summon the parties and the witnesses, to hear evidence, for deliberations, and to allow the judges to exercise their right to strike. Also, at a hearing on 4 June 2007 the court adjourned the examination of the applicant’s request for the measure imposed on his assets to be lifted pending the court’s determination of the case.
17.  On 8 April 2010 the County Court examined the applicant’s case on the merits, acquitted him of abuse of office and dismissed AVAB’s civil claim. Consequently, it lifted the seizure measure from his assets. The court convicted the applicant, however, of receiving bribes and gave him a suspended sentence of three years’ imprisonment.
18.  The applicant and AVAB appealed against the judgment to the Court of Appeal.
19.  Between 21 September and 16 November 2010 the Court of Appeal adjourned the proceedings twice to allow the parties to prepare their cases, to summon them, and for the court to deliberate. On 23 November 2010 the court dismissed the appeals of the parties and upheld the judgment of the first-instance court.
20.  The applicant and AVAB appealed on points of fact and law against the judgment to the High Court of Cassation and Justice (“the Court of Cassation”).
21.  Between 23 February and 20 April 2011 the Court of Cassation adjourned the proceedings once to allow the applicant to prepare his case.
22.  By a final judgment of 4 May 2011 the Court of Cassation allowed the applicant’s appeal on points of fact and law in part. It held that he was guilty of bribe taking, but his criminal liability for that offence had become time-barred. The court upheld the remaining parts of the judgments delivered by the lower courts.
23.  On 4 March 2012, once the applicant had submitted certified copies of all the courts’ judgments, the Bihor Land and Immovable Property Register removed the annotation concerning the seizure measure imposed on his immovable property from the above-mentioned register, which had prevented him from freely disposing of it.