What the newspapers say: March 24, 2011
Earlier this year, one by one, Romanian customs were “conquered” by anti-graft prosecutors but how many of them are still under arrest, how many are free already and why? The radioactive cloud from France, is inoffensive, if it reaches Romania. In a first interview for Realitatea TV news television, after a long period of boycott against it, President Basescu reproached the incorrectness of journalists from the news channel. Romanian Cristian Gheorghiu aged 34 aka Smear is the number one graffiti vandal in Los Angeles.
Gandul reads about the massive raids organized by anti-graft prosecutors at Romanian customs across the country. Fir of them, Siret, Moravita, Foeni, Naidas, Albita were almost decimated: 237 customs and police officers were indicted in the customs corruption cases. Of these, 168 are still under arrest while 69 are free because judges decided so or because prosecutors did not propose a preventive arrest. This week, the Bucharest Appellate Court decided to lease 17 police officers from Albita customs.
However, the decision was appealed and the court maintained the freedom decision for 4 police officers only. One o the arguments invoked by magistrates was that the accused are educated persons without penal antecedents and because they are suspended one cannot argue that they will continue to commit other penal deeds.
The whole penal activity was focused on the interception of the accused on several days of work after which they were arrested. The rush also caused a lack of clear evidence that the accused were taking bribe, how much and from whom. However, tapes do show clearly sex scenes in the customs.
Judicial sources declared for the newspaper that two customs and police officers masturbated while watching porno while on duty at Moravita and Naidas.
Evenimentul Zilei reads that the radioactive cloud from Fukushima currently above France will not affect people or agriculture. Authorities doubt that the cloud could reach Romania but even so, considering that there are 2 weeks since the explosion radiations would be diluted.
French authorities informed the population yesterday about the presence of the cloud and declared that it does not pose any danger whatsoever.
For the first time in a long while, President Basescu was present at Realitatea TV news television for an interview, Evenimentul Zilei reads. Even so, Basescu took the opportunity to address the fact that the television is biased when airing certain stories.
Basescu said “It is time for your TV channel to become a correct channel”. Basescu reminded journalists that on March 11, when he made a statement at Brussels he said that he will not endorse a military intervention in Libya and that any intervention needs to be legal, to have the approval of the US, of the Arab League and of African states. Meanwhile, Romania’s position did not change.
Basescu was dissatisfied that many journalists and analysts present at Realitatea TV said that Basescu did not take a stand on the matter. President Basescu’s last intervention at Realitatea TV was during his 2009 Presidential campaign.
Elsewhere in the news, Romania libera reads about Romanian Cristian Gheorghiu, aged 34 who seems to be the number one enemy of Los Angeles police for his aggressive graffiti across the town. Gheorghiu was sentenced in 2007 for vandalism and was recently arrested for breaching his parole after he talked, in an interview for Los Angeles Times about his graffiti.
Gheorghiu became known to local art galleries through his paintings which sell at about 2,500 dollars a piece. About his work, gallery owners say that it is fresh, honest.