Romania to investigate eight cabinet ministers

26/06/2009

BUCHAREST, Romania -- The National Integrity Agency (ANI) is about to begin investigating eight ministers over inconsistencies in their asset statements, ANI President Alexandru Macovei announced on Thursday (June 25th). The eight are the wealthiest in the cabinet, with assets totalling about 8m euros, Macovei said. Realitatea TV suggested that Economy Minister Adriean Videanu tops the list, with personal wealth estimated at 2m euros. Transport Minister Radu Berceanu is second with 1.87m euros, followed by Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu with 1.6m euros, and Defence Minister Mihai Stanisoara with 250,000 euros. All of them are members of the Liberal Democratic Party.

Cabinet members from the Social Democratic Party have less. The wealthiest of them is Agriculture Minister Ilie Sarbu, who has declared assets of 208,000 euros. President Traian Basescu has said he will not hesitate to suspend any minister under investigation for filing a false asset statement. Prime Minister Emil Boc has said he would have no problem replacing Youth Minister Monica Iacob Ridzi, if a parliamentary panel finds she misused public funds. (Adevarul - 26/06/09; Realitatea - 25/06/09)