Defense minister Teodor Melescanu, called to act as interim minister on January 15, noted he asked the specialists with the ministry of justice to analyze all the legal steps that must be further taken.

Romania's President Traian Basescu asked the interim minister on January 16 to approve request to start criminal investigations against seven former ministers and the Cabinet's labor minister.

The president said he endorsed a request in this respect coming from the General Prosecutor's Office and the Anti-corruption Department. The eight are former Prime Minister Adrian Nastase, Transports Minister Miron Mitrea, Justice Minister Tudor Chiuariu, IT&C Minister Zsolt Nagy, Defense Minister Victor Babiuc, Agriculture Minister Decebal Traian Remes, Economy Minister Codrut Seres and member of the current government, Labor Minister Paul Pacuraru.

The eight are allegedly involved in corruption scandals. Chiuariu stepped down from the Justice Ministry after accusations related to his presumed involvement in a public acquisition case, along with the Nagy, were unearthed. Nagy is under the magnifying glass of prosecutors in another case related to strategic sell-offs in Romania of some big state-owned companies. Seres is also being probed in the same case, under accusations of treason and setting up a criminal group to divulge economic secrets.Pacuraru, who is the only one still holding to his position in the Cabinet, is accused of bribe taking.

Former Agriculture Minister Remes was forced to resign last year after he was caught on tape allegedly taking bribe and receiving some goods to help favor a local businessman in a public bid. He is accused of abuse of position.

Former Social Democrat Premier Nastase, a person seen as an authoritative prime minister who tried to control both the economy and the media from 2000 to 2004, is accused of abuse of position and bribe taking in several cases. Another Social Democrat, Mitrea, is probed for bribe taking, forgery, use of false signature.Babiuc is on the prosecutors' list for bribe taking and serious abuse of position.

This is the first significant move against ministers presumed to be corrupt, after the president warned on such a possibility several times last year and after the commission set up at his residence to help him in this respect was dissolved by Parliament.
Romania, which joined the European Union last year has major problems in its judiciary as it failed to carry out all the commitments and implement the required reforms though it had pledged to do so and stamp out high level corruption.

A report on the judiciary, said to be harsher than the previous in 2007, is expected from the European Commission at the end of the month.


Source: NewsIn