Romanian official to quit over graft probe

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - The Romanian Soccer Federation's general secretary will officially step down on Monday after anti-corruption prosecutors launched an inquiry into alleged abuse of position and forging documents when he chaired a local club in 2008. Gheorghe Chivorchian, 60 said he was innocent and in a statement posted by the federation, he added: "I will offer all needed information and be at the authorities' command to clarify this case which has nothing to do with the federation." Prosecutors said Chivorchian used forged papers which said 1 million euros -- illegally paid to the Politehnica Timisoara club in 2008 by the administration of the western county of Timis -- represented players' wages, when in fact the sum was used to pay debts. Romania's poor graft record since the country's 2007 EU entry means the European Commission in Brussels has kept the Black Sea nation out of the bloc's passport-free Schengen zone, and its judiciary under special monitoring. But prosecutors have been praised for an energetic crackdown on graft which has reached Prime Minister Victor Ponta's inner circle, including his ex-finance minister. (Reporting by Radu Marinas, editing by Ed Osmond)