A fresh corruption case in Romania

A new case of corruption involving the misappropriation of 6 million euros of European funds has come to light in Romania.

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Bogdan Matei, 12.02.2016, 13:25

A new corruption scandal is making headlines in
Romania. The Permanent Bureau of the Chamber of Deputies is waiting for the
report of the Judicial Committee to set the date for a vote on whether to lift
the immunity of two other MPs.

On Wednesday, the National Anti-corruption
Directorate requested that the Social Democrat MP Madalin Voicu and the
representative of the Roma community in parliament, Nicolae Paun, be placed in
preventive detention. The two are accused of having misappropriated European
funds under projects that should have benefited the Roma community. Voicu is accused
of influence peddling, forgery and money laundering, while Paun is accused of
forgery, illegally changing the destination of European funds, embezzlement and
financial operations incompatible with his position.

According to prosecutors, between 2010 and 2015,
under the pretence of aiming to help thousands of Roma to find a job or become
entrepreneurs, they allegedly misappropriated some 6 million euros, using the
money for their own personal benefit. The local media have dwelt on the fact
that, when it comes to Romanian politicians, corruption goes beyond both party
and ethnic interests. In the public space, Voicu and Paun pose as militants for
the emancipation of the Roma community, constantly accusing Romanian citizens
and state institutions of deliberately marginalising the ethnic Roma.

A successful businessman, a pleasant presence in many
TV shows and known among his fellow Roma as Nicky the Scorpion, Nicolae Paun is
currently serving his fourth term in parliament as representative of the Roma
minority. A classical music conductor and the son of the famous violinist Ion
Voicu, the other MP involved, Madalin Voicu, has been in the focus of celebrity
news for decades now. During the communist era, he was a close friend of Nicu
Ceausescu, the youngest son of dictator Nicolae Ceausesu. After the collapse of
communism, he became a permanent presence on TV shows about public figures and
pseudo-celebrities. He won his first parliament seat 20 years ago, also as a
member of the Party of the Roma, before later switching to the Social
Democratic Party.

Also involved in this latest case of corruption are
the president of the National Fiscal Administration Agency Gelu Stefan Diaconu
and the vice-president of this institution, Mihai Gogancea Vatasoiu, who are
accused of influence peddling, money laundering and embezzlement. On Thursday,
they two were sacked by prime minister Dacian Ciolos. Diaconu had refused to
resign saying he is innocent of the charges, despite a call by the finance
minister Anca Dragu who insisted that the National Fiscal Administration Agency
was one of the most important institutions in Romania and its leadership must
be above suspicion.