Bucharest Military Court Releases Defendants In Weapon Heist Case

Initially, the Bucharest Military Court extended the preventive arrest measure, but Wednesday the decision was cancelled and the eight will be released by final ruling.

On January 11, 2010, the military court will resume debates in the case regarding the weapon heist at the Ciorogarla base.

On March 2, eleven soldiers were sent to trial in the case involving the weapon heist at the military base in Romanian commune Ciorogarla, under charges of theft, absence without leave and violation of weapons and ammunition regulations.

The defendants are sergeant Marius Tudorache - charged with theft, violation of weapons and ammunition regulations, absence without leave and instigation, sergeant major Ionut Nicolae Gagea - theft, corporal Ion Petrica - theft and violation of weapons and ammunition regulations. All are under preventive arrest.

Prosecutors established that sergeant Marius Tudorache breached his commander of the guards attributes, as he did not check if there were locks on the weapons warehouse, when he entered and when he left duty, as well as when the guards changed, he did not perform telephone checks and inspections on the guard posts and he did not conduct the changing of the guards in compliance with the rules.

In addition, the sergeant allegedly got three sentinels, who were on duty on the night of January 27, to breach their post upon entering and leaving duty.

According to prosecutors, the soldiers guarding the military base breached their attributes as they did not check the locks on the weapons warehouse they were guarding, at each of the two entries in the sentinel post, or they left their post without having been relieved of duty in compliance with the rules, at certain intervals, or they failed to perform sentinel duties within certain timeframes.

The total value of weapons and items stolen from the warehouse reaches over 34,500 lei (EUR1 = RON4.2047).

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