Romania’s Supreme Court has upheld a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence against the head of the country’s ruling Social Democratic Party after he was found guilty last year of having two party members paid by a state agency for fake jobs.

The BBC reports the court heard party leader Liviu Dragnea, who was found guilty last year, used his influence as a government official to procure fake jobs at a child protection agency for two women working for his party.

The women admitted to working for the party while receiving salaries from the agency.

While Dragnea, who denies any wrongdoing, appealed the initial verdict, he was allowed to remain free.

However, in live footage on Romanian television on Monday (27 May), he was seen being driven in a police car into the Rahova prison just outside Bucharest.

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