All newspapers on Monday read about former Agriculture minister Ioan Avram Muresan who was placed under investigation by anti-graft prosecutors for bribery. Suspicions about the real destination of European funds for Romania arise again as EU officials threaten to activate the safeguarding clause for agriculture.
Elsewhere in the news, Bucharest enjoys this year's international auto show SIAB 2007, due to last for another week.
Romania Libera reads that former Agriculture inister Ioan Avram Muresan, who served in the government in the late nineties, is officially investigated by anti-graft prosecutors for bribing the current Agriculture minister, Decebal Traian Remes.
The newspaper informs that Muresan allegedly gave Remes 15,000 euro and offered him a car to favor a private businessman in a public tender.
Moreover, all those involved in the case are not strangers of the judiciary, as they have been under inquiry in various corruption cases.
The paper argues that the businessman, Gheorghe Ciorba, has made a habit to denounce the public high officials whom he bribes. He accused a former Social Democrat mayor in Satu Mare of requesting huge amounts of money as bribe.
Cotidianul informs that the accusations are based upon several audio recordings that attest the fraud and a video one in which the current Agriculture minister is depicted receiving 15,000 euro from the ex-minister Muresan, the businessman’s intermediate.
However, Remes could be saved by an emergency ordinance passed by the government last week, which renders impotent a presidential commission in charge with approving the criminal pursuits against ministers. The commission allowed the president to have a say in such issues.
Gandul reads that magistrates rejected the 30 days arrest request on Muresan's name, but he’s not allowed to leave the country or contact any person involved in the case.
Elsewhere in the papers today, European officials threaten to activate the safeguarding clause on Agriculture as suspicions rise about abuses in this sector in Romania.
Romania Libera reads that European Popular Party president Joseph Daul urges local authorities to investigate whether the European funds really reach those who are entitled to the money, namely the peasants.
Daul criticized the current government for its lack of action in dealing with corruption cases.
Moreover, he said Romanian peasants are about to lose 25% of European subsidies because of officials' incapacity to absorb the funds.
EC spokesman, Mark Grey announced that the European Commission would publish reports in January and July 2008 dedicated exclusively to the Romanian Justice sector.
The EU officials criticized the government’s stepbacks taken in this field since the demise of the former Justice Minister, Monica Macovei.
On a lighter tone, but the same high level, Gandulreads about Romanians enjoying SIAB 2007 - the Bucharest International Auto Show. The thought of luxury cars and beautiful girls make traffic jams on the way there - and from Otopeni International Airport to Bucharest - bearable.
SIAB was opened on Friday near the International Henri Coanda airport, on the location of the former Metro Otopeni store, instead of the usual Romaero exhibit center.
This year's edition, due to last until October 14, features 50% more brands than the previous ones: 200 exhibitors on 50,000 square meters, organizers say.
