Romanian President Calls For Evaluation Of Interior Ministry Staff, Eliminating Corruption

The president said during an assessment of the ministry's activity that the institution cannot be reformed unless it is cleaned out of corruption. He pointed out that restructuring does not mean changing the ministry's organizational chart, and called for employee performance evaluations.

Basescu said corruption springs from each of the ministry's structures and added the institution has not yet reached the level that should characterize a EU member state.

The president went on saying that the areas where police tolerate organized crime can be seen from a great distance, and stressed that organized crime groups must be disbanded.

He also highlighted that the High Council for Defense (CSAT) created the conditions needed to counter organized crime and tax evasion, by establishing a partnership between state institutions, which must cooperate to accomplish this task.

In June 2010, the High Council for Defense adopted a decision which prompted actions meant to crack down on tax evasion and contraband.

Thirty border police officers, suspected of bribe taking and cigarette smuggling, were detained Monday by anticorruption prosecutors during a raid at the Albita customs point, in eastern Romania. Earlier this month, authorities arrested 59 border police and customs workers at the Siret crossing point in northeastern Romania on charges of corruption and contraband. Also, 90 people have been arrested under the same charges following raids through five border crossing points in western Romania.

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