Declassified report sheds light on links between August 10, 2018 riot police violence and politicians

An Interior Ministry report on violence during massive anti-government protests that took place in Bucharest on August 10 last year sheds light on key links between riot police decision makers and politicians, sources have told HotNews.ro.

• Massive protests were organised against the Social Democratic (PSD) government on August 10, 2018. But riot police intervened brutally against mostly peaceful protesters to quell the demonstrations. Hundreds of people were injured in the violent intervention of the gendarmes. The PSD government at the time defended the action, claiming protesters were violent.

An inquiry into those events, made by the Interior Ministry, has been kept secret. But it was declassified on Thursday, shortly after a new, Liberal government took over last week.

While it was declassified, the report can be used for criminal investigations, but will only be made public when prosecutors’ inquiries into the August 10, 2018 events end.

But sources have provided details to HotNews.ro about the findings of the report.

They said is showed the Interior minister at the time of the protests, Carmen Dan, who was on vacation, returned to the ministry that day and took over command of the operations by 12 o’clock.

From that moment on, sources said, orders were issued through an intermediary, an undersecretary of state at the Ministry.

That official, named Mihai Valeriu, allegedly maintained permanent link with the leader of the governing PSD party, Liviu Dragnea, and leaders of hooligans who prompted gendarmes to act against protesters, according to sources within the judiciary body investigating organised crimes and terrorism cases in Romania, DIICOT.

Sources close the the case told HotNews.ro that the ministry official was travelling between the government HQ in Victoriei Square where protests were taking place and the Interior Ministry HQ. They said he provided information to a former government official who used to serve as Liviu Dragnea’s driver, who himself delivered information to Dragnea himself, who attended a party near Bucharest.

• Liviu Dragnea, as leader of the governing PSD, could not serve as PM given a suspended sentence for electoral fraud. But it controlled the government and was the de facto ruler of Romania until earlier this year, when he was convicted under corruption charges for a second time and sent to prison. His government has caused massive protests for the past three years, with its moves against the judiciary and the rule of law in the country.