Romanian Parliament Committee To Push For Prosecution Of Youth Minister

Lawmaker Mircea Grosaru, representing national minorities within the inquiry committee, said Thursday the committee will draft a report that calls for the prosecution of the minister, but the report will also include a separate stance of the   Democratic Liberal Party, which will cite negligence.

Grosaru said all members of the committee decided to notify the Financial Guard to check on the consultancy and advertising firms involved, the Court of Accounts to check on the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Competition Council for the national public procurement monitoring agency (ANRMAP) and anticorruption prosecutors for the start of criminal inquiries against the minister.

Grosaru added that, according to the Regulation of the Chamber of Deputies, this commission’s report would be forwarded to the Chamber’s commission for legal matters, which then proposes prosecution.

Minister Ridzi presented a document Wednesday night on television station Realitatea TV, saying it is the final draft of the Parliament investigation committee’s report, adding criminal investigations are requested against her over alleged embezzlement and abuse of office.

"I have here the final report of the Committee (…). On page 13 of the document, the committee proposes the initiation of criminal investigations against me," Ridzi said.

Ridzi said the report, which she obtained from her party colleagues who were in the commission, was allegedly ready on Tuesday, even before her hearing on Wednesday.

On the other hand, liberal Alina Gorghiu, president of the investigation committee, called the show and contradicted Ridzi, saying the document presented by Ridzi is just a draft, a provisional, not final, variant.

Asked whether she would resign considering the parliament commission will push for prosecution, the minister said she doesn’t plan to resign, adding she wants to continue the projects she started within the ministry.

Ridzi is under investigation by anticorruption prosecutors and a parliamentary commission for having allegedly illegally spent public money to organize celebrations marking Youth Day on May 2.

The president’s office said in a press release recently that the president will use his constitutional prerogative to suspend a minister if competent institutions request that minister’s prosecution.