Anti-corruption chief declines ECCCC would be tool in hands of ruling Communists

The director of the Economic Crimes and Corruption Combating Center (ECCCC), Sergiu Puscuta, declines his institution would allegedly be a political tool favoring the ruling party, as is repeatedly stated by politicians, representatives of the civil society and even former ECCCC employees, Info-Prim Neo reports. “Knowing that often the Center is used as an instrument to promote certain policies, we try to be even fairer and more correct in all the management procedures,” Sergiu Puscuta told a news conference on Tuesday. Asked about the search started after the interpellation of the Christian-Democratic People's Party (PPCD) concerning the activity of the Liberal-Democratic Party, ECCCC director has said the case is dealt with by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutors. The ECCCC are but the executioners in this search, and the investigations have not ended yet, Puscuta said. During the first half of the year, 426 offenses has been discovered, 131 were corruption acts, 240 – economic-financial infractions and 55 – from other categories. The most affected by corruption are the local mayor offices and councils (29 infractions discovered), the education area (14 infractions), the subdivisions of the Environment Ministry (2 cases). Sergiu Puscuta could not specify members of which parties rule the local councils where offenses have been discovered, but has underlined the question is about different political parties. During the first semester, the ECCCC monitored the employment of the markup in prices of socially-important goods, as 400 unannounced controls were performed to check up establishing the prices of cement, sugar and sunflower oil. In the second half, the ECCCC plans to continue such checkups especially concerning the rice retailers. They are also intent to verify wholesalers. Sergiu Puscuta has said the number of controls dropped from 188, in the first half of 2007, to 125 in the same period of 2008, as they select more carefully the entities to be checked up. The press conference has been organized as part of an open-door day at the ECCCC office, an event wanted to show the institution is open and transparent. The journalists have visited the ECCCC's offices, remand center, museum and canteen . The ECCCC employs 543 personnel.