Press Review - November 22, 2017

11.22.2017 By Oana Gavrila

Romanian Prosecutors Seize Ruling Coalition Leader’s Assets

Romanian anticorruption prosecutors have seized ruling coalition leader and lower chamber speaker Liviu Dragnea’s assets as part of a criminal investigation in which Dragnea is the main suspect.

Prosecutors have also frozen the assets of several public servants and businesspeople alongside whom Dragnea allegedly set up an organized crime group in a move to recover the financial damages, estimated at EUR20 million.

Romanian anticorruption prosecutors on November 13 indicted Dragnea for abuse of office, embezzling EU funds and setting up an organized crime group.

An official release from the National Anticorruption Directorate read that Dragnea allegedly set up an organized crime group in 2001, back when was chairman of Teleorman County Council. The group would have been led by Dragnea and comprised public servants and businesspeople.

The group’s activities revolved around Tel Drum, the Teleorman county public company that handles road infrastructure. The company allegedly got in Dragnea’s control through privatization and was constantly favored in public procurement tenders seeking contractors for the county’s road infrastructure projects.

Prosecutors opened the case following a notification from OLAF, the European anti-fraud watchdog.

Senate Budget Committee Debates Tax Changes

The Senate's budget committee meets Wednesday to discuss the government emergency decree that changed the Tax Code, over which the opposition has submitted a no-confidence motion.

The government is willing to accept changes to the bill in Parliament, as it neglected to cover several specific issues when it adopted new tax measures, such as intellectual property rights, the research sector and the IT sector, where employees were previously exempt from income tax.

The measures, particularly the transfer of social security contributions from employer to employee have sparked ample protests for fear they would lead to lower net salaries.

Romania’s National Day Parade To Comprise 3,500 Servicemen, Including 300 Foreign Soldiers

The military parade which will take place on Romania’s National Day on December 1 will include around 3,500 servicemen, out of which over 300 will be foreign soldiers from several allied or partner countries, according to the Defense Ministry.

The foreign servicemen will be from 14 countries such as Germany, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, USA and Ukraine.

The parade will include over 350 technical resources on display. Various commemorative ceremonies, exhibitions, and activities will take place around the event.

Secret Service Agents Recruiting Magistrates Risk 15 Years in Jail

The National Union of Judges in Romania seeks to eliminate secret service involvement from among its ranks by proposing a 15-year prison term for agents recruiting or attempting to recruit magistrates.

The old law regulating the issue banned secret services from recruiting magistrates but did not stipulate any penalties.