Tuesday, August 18th, 2015

Gabriel Berca, former Interior Minister, and Mihai Banu, former Deputy, indicted by the NAD

The former Interior Minister – now arrested – Gabriel Berca was indicted by anti-corruption prosecutors for traffic of influence. The same measure was imposed against the former Deputy Mihai Banu, as well as against this one’s son. According to prosecutors, between 2010 – 2012, Gabriel Berca asked and received, through Mihai Banu, both for him and the party in which he was a member, large amounts of money from a businessman. In exchange, the former dignitary promised that he will influence the allowance of Government funds to a town hall that had to pay 5,6 million lei for construction works made by the businessman’s company.

The Health Minister and representatives of all parts in the sanitary system continue talks on salaries

The Health Minister, Nicolae Bănicioiu, and the representatives of all parts in the sanitary system will continue today the talks on salaries. The Minister’s press counsellor, Mario Creţu, said that yesterday’s meetings with the representatives of doctors, residents and unions were focused on finding long lasting solutions to increase salaries. In the following days, the Minister will meet the Prime Minister and the Public Finances Minister in order to evaluate the exact amounts of money needed for the increase of salaries in the sanitary system, most probably from this fall. After yesterday’s negotiations, the leader of „Doctor Ioan Cantacuzino” Union, Florin Chirculescu, pleaded for correlation of revenues to those of the EU.

The United States sent heavy weapons in Europe in order to support its” NATO allies

The US Marine Corps sent tanks, artillery, and light reconaissnace armored vehicles in Europe, in order to support its’ NATO allies and international parteners. The heavy weapons arrived in Germany and are due to reach Bulgaria, loaded in trains and accompanied by over 160 marines – the US Marine Corps in Europe and Africa announced. The unit will be part of the Black Sea Rotational Force based in Romania, but will be placed at the Novo Selo Range in Bulgaria. The logistics director said that placing the military equipmement in the Black Sea area improved the coordination with the allies and now various agencies and organisations know each other instead of finding out about one’s existence only after a crisis has develloped.

Former Prosecutor Emilian Eva remains in custody

Former NAD Prosecutor Emilian Eva will be researched further in custody, according to a decision of the Supreme Court, which rejected its appeal against the extension of his detention. Inter alia, he is charged by the anti-corruption prosecutors of taking bribes, the carrying out of financial operations incompatible with his function and false statements. Emilian Eva is the Prosecutor who instrumented ICA privatization dossier, in which former lawmaker Dan Voiculescu was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Project funded from European funds intended for National Environmental Guard capacity growth

In Bucharest will be released today, in the presence of the Minister of the environment, Graţiela Gavrilescu, a project financed from European funds intended for National Environmental Guard capacity growth to apply Community legislation in the field of hazardous wastes and chemicals. The project, worth over 1 million euros, will be carried out in partnership with a Norwegian software company. According to a press release of the Ministry, the program will allow better monitoring by the Environmental Guard of hazardous waste, both by using a special computer applications, and by developing the skills of the staff of the institution.

Searches at Ploieşti

NAD Prosecutors in Ploieşti are searching, at this hour, the offices of the Chief of  NDA Prahova, of the Deputy county Police Chief, as well as of the officer from combating organised crime in Romania, who were detained last night in a corruption file. Anti-corruption Chief in Prahova would have received money repeatedly to open investigations against some Police officers involved in settling a dossier of tax evasion. Prahova county Deputy Police Chief is being investigated for denouncements obtained under threat against officers from investigating fraud section and organised crime officer is alleged to have threatened a journalist with the opening of criminal cases and would have provided illegal information in a file of  DIICOT Ploiesti.

Farmers affected by drought will be compensated through a State aid

National Federation Pro Agro announces that producers in the vegetable sector affected by drought will be compensated by means of a de minimis aid intended for small farmers, which will be awarded in the autumn of this year. The Federation adds that legal persons will be compensated through a State aid which will be awarded in the spring. The decision was taken in the wake of yesterday’s meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture, with the participation of representative organizations. To compensate losses in agriculture, agricultural producers are proposing, in addition to the granting of amounts of money, also subsidizing electricity costs for irrigation this year, as a priority. Professional organizations of farmers also support a strategy on medium and long term in order to achieve an infrastructure of irrigation, it is stated in a press release.

Ovidiu Popescu