New Corruption Investigations

Things are starting to look grim for the leader of the National Union for the Progress of Romania Gabriel Oprea, the man who used to hold together the former left-wing ruling coalition. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate on Monday called on the Senate to allow the criminal investigation of the former Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, on charges of abusing the use of his official motorcade. Livia Saplacan, spokesperson for the Directorate, told us more:

“Gabriel Oprea is facing two charges of abuse of office for obtaining undue benefits for himself or a third party. The first charge is related to the unlawful use of the motorcade by the former Interior Minister”.

The investigation was launched after last October a police officer had died while leading the motorcade accompanying the high-ranking official. Ensuing inquiries revealed that in 2015 alone Gabriel Oprea had used police escort no less than 1,600 times. Prosecutors claim the rides were often personal in nature. Moreover, Gabriel Oprea had allegedly offered the same illegal benefit to the current Prosecutor General Tiberiu Nitu. While the latter refused to comment, the former told the press:

“I consider myself innocent, and this will be confirmed sooner or later. I also believe it is the prosecutors’ duty to look into any suspicions linked to potential offences”.

Political pundits say Gabriel Oprea mismanaged the whole business publicly. He refused to step down at the time and shortly afterwards he had a poor attempt of regaining the credibility he had lost by taking an affected role in the investigations into the Colectiv nightclub fire in Bucharest. His ruse failed and in fact the whole Cabinet had to resign due to public pressure. Protesters at the time condemned corruption in the central and local administration. Gabriel Oprea’s run-ins with the law have only just begun.

In another move, also on Monday, Social-Democrat Deputy Ion Stan has been sentenced to two years in prison for influence peddling. The ruling of the High Court of Cassation and Justice in Bucharest is final. Stan was charged with receiving bribes during the election campaign of 2012 from businesspeople in exchange for contracts with the state. Additionally, in 2009, while he was the chairman of the Social-Democratic county organization, Ion Stan received on behalf of his party, election campaign products, in exchange for using his influence over certain mayors and local officials to facilitate contracts at local level.

(Translated by V. Palcu)