National Press Review, 24 March 2011

‘Romania is sending to Libya a warship that is not equipped to fight, but only to blockade’ – the Adevărul reads.

The armament system of the frigate ‘Kind Ferdinand’ consists of only a super-fast cannon and a torpedo launcher.

According to the Minister of Defense, Gabriel Oprea, the vessel hasn’t been modernized, therefore is in the same shape it was back when we bought it second-hand, from the British, in 2002.

‘Ferdinand frigate participating in the fight mission without being modernized’ – also headlines the Puterea.

The British frigates were to enter a process of modernization immediately after purchase, but no funds have been allocated.

At this point, the state will have to spend 4.5 million euros to prepare the ship for the mission in the Mediterranean.

‘The waves the war frigate makes’ – is the information we learn from the Evenimentul Zilei.
Even though the frigate’s armament, at the board of which there will be over 200 Romanian soldiers, are not up anywhere near the technological level of allied ships, military experts claim that an operation of the embargo does not require sophisticated weapons.

‘Romania and Bulgaria mobilise two second-hand frigates to help the anti-Gaddafi coalition’ – we read in the Gândul.

Just that the Bulgarian one will reach the shores of Libya four times faster than Ferdinand.
We also learn from the Gândul updates on the case of corruption at the customs, namely the number of police officers and customs officials who are still in custody.

At the beginning of this year, one by one, 237 customs police officers have become defendants in the file of customs corruption.

Of these, 69 are already free, which was either decided by judges or because the prosecutors did not suggest preventive detention.

Judges asserted that many files have no conclusive evidence, or have been prepared in haste, or preventive detention has been ordered after interceptions of only a few days, making it difficult at this point to prove the charge of bribery in continuous form.
One of the reasons for release was that the video interceptions were low quality and it is not obvious they are taking bribe.

‘Udrea wants to double expenses’ – the Jurnalul Naţional headlines on the front page.
The Ministry of Development and Tourism has drawn up a draft Government decision, which can approve projects worth of up to 12 million euros, without the need of Government approval. Presently, Ministries are only able to start the 6 million euros investment process after Government approvals.

The daily Puterea reveals the real use of the money which should serve to build roads in Romania.

The highway and national roads company spends millions of euros for legal services on land expropriation alone.

In January alone, a lawyer in Cluj charged 250 thousand euros from the Company for a contract closed without a tender. For expropriations on Alexandria’s beltway alone, lawyers ave received almost half a million euros.

Back in February, the same company hired two law firms for expropriations, and they paid them one million euros – the newspaper claims.

Aside from paying the lawyers, the Roads Company also has to compensate the ones whose lands are being expropriated. Would there be any money left for road construction?!

Translated by: Manuela Stancu
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University