Corruption: war in the heart of the state

Published on 25 May 2011 at 10:02

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In the port of Constanta on the Black Sea rages "total war", writes Romania’s Evenimentul Zilei. On one front stands the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA), which has arrested 28 people – customs officials, police and politicians suspected of receiving bribes. On the other front stands the Senate, which has refused to lift the immunity of Senator Mircea Banias and Interior Ministry General Secretary Laurentiu Mironescu, who is one of the suspected coordinators of the trafficking in Constanta. The Interior Minister, Traian Igaş, meanwhile accuses the Romanian secret services of having shielded the affair from view. "For every container of goods that came into the EU and was fraudulently 'taxed', the Mafia got between 1,000 and 7,000 dollars (713 to 5,000 euros)", explains *Evenimentul Zilei*, estimating annual bribes at about 1.5 billion euros.

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