National Press Review, 21 April

The România Liberă announced on the front page, a fact considered as outrageous, quote: ‘The motorway has not been finished yet, but they already took the money.’

The newspaper found out that the three companies, whose construction contracts for the Moara Vlăsiei-Ploieşti motorway have been terminated by the Ministry of Transport, have already charged 95 percent of the initial project value, while the actual stage of the works only reached 53 percent according to official data provided by the National Company of Motorways.

After having visited the sites, the journalists from the România Liberă asked rhetorically: ‘Why is Umbrărescu still working on the motorway to Ploieşti, if the contract was terminated?’

‘Ioan Botiş, chronicle of late resignation, the Evenimentul Zilei headlined.

After a discussion with President Traian Băsescu, the Minister of Labour ceased to wait for the National Integrity Agency’s clarification in his conflict of interest, as he has announced a day before, and he withdrew his mandate.

‘Botiş quit Labour, Boghicevici to prepare’, the Adevărul also wrote, claiming that the first on list of the future possible Labour ministers was Claudia Boghicevici, Vice-President of the Working Committee within the Chamber of Deputies, strongly supported by PDL Vice President George Gheorghe Falcă,, mayor of Arad .

‘Necolaiciuc, determined to defend himself’, the Jurnalul Naţional headlined, recalling the facts for which the former manager of CFR went on trial, by namely ruining the institution of over 50 million euros, by fraud against public interests.

The same newspaper reported that the American Embassy in Bucharest yesterday gave a statement on the Nicolaiciuc case, showing, quote:

‘The United States hopes that, once he returned to Romania, he will follow a procedural route properly for his case and thus we strongly warn those engaged in similar activities, namely that corruption will not be tolerated, regardless of its level, and that those joining such actions will be targeted for criminal charges.’

The România Liberă tried to foresee what’s next for the ‘Czar of CFR’.

As he has come back to Romania yesterday, two years after he had arrested in the United States, the former CEO of CFR, accused of ruining the institution, has finally began fighting in court for his release from custody. In this trial phase the judges do nothing else but to hear him talking briefly about the allegations against him.

Afterwards, Mihai Necolaiciuc will be given into custody to the Criminal Investigations Department, even if his lawyers can challenge the arrest and the corruption trials remain on track.

‘Who will also be punished like “Czar” of the CFR’ is the title in the Adevărul.

The newspaper expected to see if Nicolaiciuc uncovers some businessmen or politicians involved in various contracts for which the CFR has paid amounts ten times higher than those on the market.

In the newspaper Puterea there can be found the whole movie of Mihai Nicoaliciuc’s international prosecution, who used to have a luxurious life in Miami, USA.

Another dramatic arrest occurred yesterday, that of Sorin Ovidiu Vântu..

‘The charge of blackmail put Vântu in handcuffs ‘, the Evenimentul Zilei headlined.

The arrest occurred after the complaint made against SOV's by the current manager of Realitatea TV, Sebastian Ghiţă, who was allegedly threatened with death and blackmailed.

Coincidence or not, Nicolae Popa, the man who ‘brought’ Vântu another arrest warrant in last year’s September, was also expected to return into the country at any time.

The Adevărul wrote that SOV threatened Ghiţă, quote: ‘that he will gas him, kill his family and bury them on the hills of Moldavia.’

‘Suceava’s bigwigs fight for Gemenea village’s forest’, the Jurnalul Naţional headlined. The Prefecture in Suceava tried to seize some 600 hectares of the forest, which are now owned by the village residents, reunited in the association Obştea Gemenea.

The prefect claimed that the assertion and restitution of this forest was illegal.

Paradoxically, the restitution has been made with the help of the prefect, who was then just a forester in the Forest Territorial Inspectorate.

The daily Azi informs us with a draft law proposed by the Industries Chairman within the Chamber of Deputies, Iulian Iancu, in order to temper the unwarranted price increase on petrol and diesel of the last period, namely: increasing the income tax by up to 80 percent, if oil companies exceed a certain level that has been established by the authorities on the fuel prices.

The PSD depute said that a similar tax measure has been recently adopted in Great Britain.

The Adevărul published today, exclusively, an interview with Her Royal Highness, Princess Margarita of Romania, stating that King Mihai is ready to return to the throne.

A very interesting interview, in which the princess told about the royal family's years spent in exile, about the shock of December1989 and the future of the monarchy in Romania.

Translated by: Iulia Florescu
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University