A Romanian senator before Senate Judiciary Committee
A Romanian senator is expected to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. The country’s National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) reiterated its call for the pretrial detention of Dan Şova, a senator of the governing Social Democratic Party (PSD) under investigation for his alleged involvement in a corruption-related case. DNA prosecutors accused Mr. Şova of influence peddling in the case of Mihai Bălan, a former head of the CET Govora, an electricity company in the Romanian southern town of Râmnicu Vâlcea, also under investigation. Senators are expected to complete a report on the issue later in the day before submitting it to a vote in the Senate. The vote is scheduled on December 2, according to a ruling of the Senate Permanent Bureau on Monday while PSD leader Liviu Dragnea told reporters his party is expected to favour the DNA request. A bid to lift the immunity of Mr. Şova has fallen short in a parliamentary vote last March. The vote was criticized by the U.S., British and Dutch embassies in Romania who said the legislature should not prevent anti-corruption probes. Prosecutors wanted to arrest Şova on suspicion that as a senator he illegally earned 3.5 million lei as a lawyer in the privatization of several electricity companies in his constituency and destroyed computer files to cover his tracks. He denied any wrongdoing. Dan Şova is also involved in the corruption case against former Prime Minister Victor Ponta. According to prosecutors, Ponta forged expense claims amounting to around 39,750 euros during his time at a law firm belonging to Mr. Şova, a political ally and former government minister, using the funds to pay for luxury apartments and an SUV rental. Ponta also appointed Şova as a minister at least three times during his tenure as prime minister, constituting a conflict of interest.
Colectiv nightclub managers before Romania’s General Prosecutor’s Office for hearings
The three shareholders and managers of the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest appeared before Romania’s General Prosecutor’s Office for hearings early on Tuesday. Paul Gancea, George Anastasescu and Costin Mincu are expected to answer questions for their alleged involvement in the blaze taking hold at the Colectiv club on October 30 causing a stampede for the club’s single exit. The three are under preventive arrest since November 3 as they have to answer accusations related to manslaughter and intended injury. Six other people including the club’s owners and heads of the firework company organising the show are also under investigation. The death toll in the nightclub blaze that toppled Romania’s government late last month rose to 60 on Sunday, following the death of a teenaged student in an Austrian hospital.
Romanian mayors fooled by fake inspectors
Romanian prosecutors launched an investigation aimed at dismantling a network of crooks turned into integrity inspectors. The crooks allegedly fooled mayors in the northern county of Sălaj by making counseling offers for money. The fake inspectors are skilfully trained so that they can easely gain the trust of local authorities, prosecutors say. They cheated several Sălaj mayors by prompting them to sign contracts worth some 1,000 each for fictitious services. The „inspectors” cheated at least ten mayors before being detained by prosecutors on Tuesday. However, the Romanian authorities warned the mayors against such dealings while expecting that mayors in other counties could become victims of similar incidents.
Closure of Bucharest’s Nottara Theatre
The Nottara Theatre in the capital Bucharest closed its doors indefinitely on Tuesday, according to a message posted on the theatre’s website. The decision was made after Romanian President Klaus Iohannis signed into law an amendment forbidding any activity in buildings under high seismic threat. The theatre will remain closed until restoration works will be finalised though a date is still to be decided. Some 366 buildings in Bucharest are under highest seismic threat with 183 formally declared as public dangers. Only 18 buildings were restored since 2002 under a government programme while for other 35 the restoration was paid by owners.
Alexandru Danga
