Former Interior Ministry's administration accused of appropriating 40m lei from state budget

The former administration of the Ministry of the Interior is accused by the present administration of causing damage of 40 million lei to the state budget. In a news conference on Tuesday, Minister of the Interior Victor Catan said the persons to blame will be held accountable, Info-Prim Neo reports. “The inspection carried out by the Audit Office at the Ministry of the Interior revealed irregularities, violations of the legislation, appropriation of funds of over 40 million lei. The Ministry was involved in cases of infringement of the human rights and fundamental freedoms, intimidation of the political opponents. Besides, officials of the Ministry appropriated money from the institution's budget and the state budget,” Catan said, adding that the embezzled money was used to do 'favors' to the Communists Party. According to Catan, the former Minister of the Interior Gheorghe Papuc, former deputy ministers and other officials of the Ministry of the Interior used a fraudulent scheme to sell property of the Ministry at derisory prices and appropriated funds from the institution's budget for maintaining the buildings of certain political organizations. Catan stressed that legal action will be taken over this case.