Former chief prosecutors indicted as police launch 300 raids
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Two former heads of Dobrogea prosecutor's offices, Gigi Ștefan and Teodor Niță, have been indicted for bribery and influence peddling, with both currently in custody. Simultaneously, a major anti-crime initiative, 'Operation JUPITER 6', involved over 300 house raids across Bucharest and several counties, targeting various criminal activities including tax evasion.
Further corruption allegations have surfaced, including claims that the Court of Accounts concealed a report on the fraudulent use of millions of lei from the Ministry of Labor during the mandates of former ministers Simona Bucura-Oprescu and Florin Manole. Separately, a Constanța commune is under scrutiny for over 1 million euros in illegal expenses, while a company founded by the new prefect of Bistrița-Năsăud has secured direct contracts worth nearly 3 million lei.
In the political arena, Prime Minister Luca Niculescu's government, composed of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and independents, faces a no-confidence motion from the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) against Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare, criticizing the lack of transparency in budget execution data. The Union of County Councils, led by Alfred Simonis, has also requested 5.3 billion lei before the upcoming budget revision, a sum approved by the Niculescu government. Meanwhile, Sorin Grindeanu, President of the Social Democratic Party and President of the Chamber of Deputies, acknowledged public criticism regarding the inappropriate image of a recent PSD party event held…