Romania’s President suspends Defense Min Teodor Atanasiu and nominates new army chief (Sep 13, 2006)

Sep 13, 2006 (Romania Report)

Romania’s president Traian Basescu suspended Tuesday Defense Minister Teodor Atanasiu with the Ruling Coalition member National Liberal Party (PNL), the Presidency said in a press statement Tuesday. The Romanian Chief of General Staff Eugen Manolache Badalan was forced to retire on Tuesday, and President Traian Basescu signed a decree on the appointment of three-star Rear Admiral Gheorghe Marin (PhD) as CoGS.

"President Basescu said that Atanasiu’s suspension from the position of Defense Minister is necessary for an objective criminal investigation. As Atanasiu is prosecuted, this might involve hearings of Defense Ministry’s employees, under Atanasiu’s subordination; these hearings could subsequently lead to inaccuracies in the investigation", the statement also read.

In July, Atanasiu tried to promote an unilateral Liberal initiative of removing the Romanian troops from Iraq—thus infringing the law which provides that movement of the country’s troops abroad is to be decided upon by the Supreme Council for Homeland Security (CSAT), chaired by Romania’s President Traian Basescu.

Therefore, in mid-July Atanasiu was subject to two criminal complaints of abuse of office, one coming from the Presidential Advisor Adriana Saftoiu, and another from the Deputy with the Social-Democrat opposition Party Eugen Bejinariu.

Basescu Thursday submitted Justice Minister Monica Macovei, the request on starting the criminal case against Atanasiu. His request is based on the conclusions of the Presidency’s Special Commission that analyzed the criminal complaints against Atanasiu.

On another hand, the Romanian Chief of General Staff Eugen Manolache Badalan was forced to retire on Tuesday, and President Traian Basescu signed a decree on the appointment of three-star Rear Admiral Gheorghe Marin Phd as the Chief of General Staff, according to a press release of the Presidential Administration.

Four-star General Eugen Badalan announced on Monday that he was going to ask the head of state to approve his retirement, adding at the same time that he was also going to ask the President to check the legality of launching a criminal investigation in his case that, in his opinion, leaves "much room for interpretation."

Anti-corruption prosecutors started on Sept. 8 criminal proceedings in the case of the former Chief of General Staff for acts of corruption in a file regarding the exchange contract concluded between the Land Forces General Staff and a private company, run over 2000-2004, viewed as infringing legal provisions.

In exchange of 4,000 old vehicles, the Land Forces received 6, 000 tires and the Ministry of Defense informed the anti-corruption prosecutors about this contract failing to observe the law and that caused the Army to loose money. The anti-corruption prosecutors also launched criminal proceedings against some other former and current officers from the Defense Ministry accused of corruption involved in the same criminal file.



Romania Report