National Opera House director influences Culture Ministry’s decisions, Ghenadie Badica

The director of the National Opera House Valeria Seican tells the Ministry of Culture what decisions to take and who to dismiss from posts, Ghenadie Badica, who is also director of the Opera House, said in a news conference held at Info-Prim Neo on January 13. He explained that he cannot take over his post after he was reinstated by court decision even if Minister of Culture Boris Focsa made a relevant order. Ghenadie Badica said that Valeria Seican profits from the special relations that she has with the leader of the Democratic Party Marian Lupu, who, for his part, controls the Prosecutor’s Office and the Anticorruption Center. He also said that in December 2009 he was fired from the post of director general on the basis of false allegations, according to which he had defrauded the institution of money. Ghenadie Badica denies the accusations, saying the four criminal cases were opened against him by order in order to make him leave the post of director. On December 14, 2010, the Buiucani Court obliged the Ministry of Culture to reinstate Ghenadie Badica in his post. The Ministry made an order to this effect on December 15. Ghenadie Badica said that Victoria Seican refused to recognize the court decision and the Ministry’s order. According to him, the same day Victoria Seican went on sick leave, ordering that her deputy replaces her. Badica considers the given act is illegal. On December 29, 2010, the Ministry of Culture made another order whereby Ghenadie Badica was again discharged from post on the basis of the same accusations. Badica said such a decision could be made only if pressure was exerted by senior officials. Ghenadie Badica also said that immediately after he was reinstated in his post by the court, officers the Center for Combating Corruption and Economic Crime resumed exerting pressure on him. His house was searched and he was interrogated at the Center’s office, where he was brought without being summoned beforehand. He also did not have access to the lawyer. Master of Art Ghenadie Badica stated that he did not see the second decision to dismiss him, signed by acting Minister of Culture Boris Focsa on December 29, 2010. Thus, he considers himself director general of the National Opera House. Ghenadie Badica believes a number of important members of the Opera House’s troupe were fired illegally. He describes the situation as destruction of the National Opera House according to democratic ‘principles and values’.