Ex-head of the National Transplant Agency Victor Zota is under penal investigation regarding the human-egg traffic dossier opened in the case of Sabyc clinic in Bucharest, Romanian TV channel Antena 3 informs. He is accused for accrediting the clinic illegally, three months after a control identified several disorders at the clinic.

The accusations come almost one month after The Court in Bucharest issued thee arrest mandates in the name of Sabyc clinic owner - Harry Mironescu, his son - Yair Mironescu, resident doctor, and one of their staff - Cecilia Borzea.

The three are being accused by the Authority for the Investigation of Organised Crime and Investigation (DIICOT) of setting up an organised crime group and setting up the human cells traffic for material gains. According to a DIICOT report on July 20, tens of doctors, Sabyc clinic staff and clients have been heard and investigated by prosecutors. The clinic was performing in vitro fertilisation since 1999, without the National Transplant Agency authorisation.

Sterile, foreign couples were brought to Romania for in vitro insemination (FIV), intervention that cost 10-15.000 euros. More consistent sums were being paid by the couples for young Romanian ovule donors, with ages ranging from 18 to 30.

The human-eggs traffic is illegal in Romania: any human cell extraction and transplant for material gain is considered a crime.

National Transplant Agency representatives showed that Sabyc has an authorisation, but it was obtained one month before the scandal started, according to Victor Zota. Since 1999, when the clinic was opened, Sabyc staff performed approximately 2,000 artificial inseminations.