What the newspapers say: February 25, 2011 

​The latest anti graft prosecutors’ arrest targeted the chief of the Ploiesti customs, Cornel Costea but newspapers reveal his career track that lead him to this position and his unaccounted for wealth. In the same vein, one newspaper wonders why prosecutors did not raid the Constanta port customs since the President made it a top priority. Elsewhere n the news, a Romanian was sentenced to 14 years of jail for the murder of a Norwegian stewardess.

Most newspapers read on Friday about the latest arrest of anti graft prosecutors in the customs scandal. Romania libera reads that Ploiesti customs chief Cornel Costea, retained by prosecutors for bribe taking was denounced for requesting bribe.

Up to a month ago when raids started at customs Costea was sure he was protected but apparently, after the chief of national customs Radu Marginean was indicted, he panicked and tried to find protection among politicians who helped get to his position in 2010.

The newspaper reads that Costea was promoted in a few months as customs chief and wonders why Marginean appointed Costea and not others, more experienced from the system. Through the Ploiesti customs there are mainly vegetables and fruits or oil products passing by.

Experts told the newspaper that the public budget is annually prejudiced by 18 billion lei due to fiscal evasion with agricultural products.

In the same vein, Gandul reads about Costea’s wealth and his unaccounted for wealth. A local weekly Altphel released a series of problems in the Ploiesti customs and according to the newspaper, Costea wanted to clarify some of the information in the press.

Costea was asked to clarify the costs of the party he organized for his birthday in the famous night club Bamboo. Costea’s answer is more than clarifying: 15,000 euro is too much, write down 10,000 euro or whatever you want, the club has constant check ups but it never gives out fiscal receipts.

Romania libera reads on Friday that even though the President declared that fiscal evasion and corruption are a top priority and implied that Constanta port will also be targeted by anti graft prosecutors, there were no raids in the area so far.

The newspaper quotes anti graft chief Daniel Morar who says that they did not receive any complaints from that customs. Morar said it is unusual that there are no complaints from Constranta’s port.

Morar underlined that this does not mean that there are no felonies in the port. He also criticized the Court of Accounts, pointing out that the number of complaints coming from the institution to anti graft prosecutors dropped.

In 2010, anti graft prosecutors indicted 937 people in 220 cases built by anti graft prosecutors. About half of those indicted, 402 people were public figures among which: 1 Prime Minister, 3 Ministers, 2 Senators, 1 Deputy, 2 State Secretaries, 6 prosecutors, 7 judges, 34 police officers.

Evenimentul Zilei reads about Romanian Marian Clita who was sentenced today by a court in Copenhagen to 14 years to prison, found guilty for the murder of a Norwegian stewardess in a hotel room on March 1, 2010.

The Romania, aged 59 brutally murdered the Norwegian, Vera Vildmyren, aged 42 with 38 knife hits and 20 hits with an iron object in an robbing attempt at Radisson Blu hotel. The court also compelled him to pay 200,000 euro to the victim’s family.