Romanian foreign minister on a visit to Ukraine
Romanian Foreign Minister starts a visit in the Ukrainian town of Chernivtsi (Cernăuţi in Romanian) on Thursday. Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu is expected to hold talks concerning the new Education Law in Ukraine. Mr. Meleşcanu will attend a press briefing with Ukrainian counterpart Pavlo Klimkin. His agenda also includes a visit to the village of Iordăneşti, Chernivitsi region, were Mr. Meleşcanu and Ukrainian Education Minister Lilia Grinevich will attend the opening ceremony of a school. Today, around 400,000 Ukrainian students are taught in a minority language. These include Hungarian, Polish, Romanian and Russian.
Cluj mayor rejects accusations
The mayor of the Romanian Transylvanian town of Cluj-Napoca rejected accusations concerning his alleged support of a physician and his clinic. Mayor Emil Boc, a former Romanian prime minister, was accused of supporting Mihai Lucan and his Lukmed clinic as the town’s local council issued four rulings favouring the physician. Famous Romanian urology surgeon Mihai Lucan, who treated former president Ion Iliescu and former prime minister Emil Boc, was arrested as Romania’s Directorate for Investingating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) accused him of involvement in an embezzlement case. The prosecutors’ file on him includes testimonies from colleagues who were horrified of his methods. Placed under judicial control, Lucan arrived at a police station in Bucharest on Friday, December 29. Mr. Boc pointed out that all investors used to get municipal support on condition that every detail on the matter was established according to law. Emil Boc was questioned by DIICOT prosecutors on Wednesday (January 10).
Famous Romanian actor questioned by DIICOT prosecutors
A famous Romanian actor appeared before prosecutors of Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) on Thursday. Alexandru Arşinel (78), a well-known comedian, was questioned as a witness in the corruption-related file of physician Mihai Lucan. In 2013, Mr. Arşinel had a kidney transplant just days after he was included on a waiting list for kidney transplantation. The actor told reporters previously he knew nothing about any of Lucan’s wrongdoings.
Undercover magistrate, an impossible job
„Undercover magistrate, there is no such job”, Romania’s chief prosecutor Augustin Lazăr told reporters on Thursday. „I don’t believe that anyone could prove that. I think it is a legend imagined for those who were unwilling to understand what justice really meant”. The statement of Mr. Lazăr comes as members of the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) are fiercely debating the issue of calling on the SRI committee in the Romanian Parliament to provide information concerning a list of magistrates who allegedly went undercover as agents of the Romanian intelligence (SRI)
Alexandru Danga
