The Romanian National Council for the Study of the Securitate Archives (CNSAS) ruled that Gabriel Laurentiu Friptu, Regional Operation Programme Management Authority (POR) from the Regional Development and Tourism Ministry (MDRT, headed by Elena Udrea) was communist intelligence (Securitate) officer. He is currently handling 4.4 billion euros worth of European funds and, according to CNSAS, he had brought serious prejudices to human rights during the communist era, Anchete Online (Online Investigations).
CNSAS submitted a file to the Bucharest Appeal Court, including a notice stating Friptu was employed by the Securitate. The first hearing is set for June 23.
By the time the news was published on HotNews.ro on the Romanian version, Gabriel Friptu could not be contacted by HotNews.
Gabriel Friptu was investigated by CNSAS at the authority's own initiative, given his managing position in MDRT. CNSAS employees discovered that the chief over EU funds fir regional developments used to be major lieutenant in the Securitate Bucharest branch before 1989, for the 130 Service. While in this role, Friptu had allegedly ordered for certain persons with "unsuitable political attitude" to be followed, according to the summon notice.
According to CNSAS, Securitate officer Friptu has also:
- guided an information network , in order to learn the then interests of the "Szekler, his political attitude and the nature of relationships with his links";
- spied in order to find out the connections in Romanian and overseas and to prevent the sending of materials and letters with an unsuitable content overseas, taking measures like intercepting correspondence;
- when the person he was following moved to another place, he order his following in order to know his "new circle of connections, interests and future intentions", disposing for the use of means such as listening to phone calls, planning to introduce spying measures in his home if necessary.
Gabriel Friptu falls under the law that compels citizens in official public roles to submit a statement addressing their relationship with the former communist intelligence service. The declaration has to be submitted to the Government's General Secretary.
MDRT: He fulfilled his duties without reproach
According to his wealth statement, Gabriel Friptu owns three plots of land in Bucharest and Ilfov County, a house that is currently being constructed, two cars and earned 166,000 lei in 2008.
In the absence of a public CV, AncheteOnline requested the Tourism Ministry to communicate the last jobs of the former Securitate staff and a point of view in regards to Mr. Friptu's future in the ministry.
Here is the Ministry's answer: "We inform you that between MDRT and other institutions there is no other correspondence addressing the issue you are referring to. In this context, the evaluation of Mr. Gabriel Friptu's activity in the ministry is assessed according to his professional results and the way he completed the attributions of the role. From this point of view, we inform you that Mr. Gabriel Friptu has completed his duties beyond reproach; the regional Operational Programme which he manages from the position of general manager of the Management Authority is the programme with the highest rate of contracts and European funds absorption from Romania. Regarding his requested CV, we would ask you to personally address mister general manager Gabriel Friptu".
