DIPI head with the Interior Ministry, indicted by DNA. Information – classified in order to conceal funds misappropriation

Rareş Văduva, Head of Intelligence and Internal Protection (DIPI) with the Interior Ministry (MAI), has been indicted by the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) prosecutors for abuse of office, for favouring the offender, for extortion and obstruction of justice, judicial sources said, the media inform.

Chief Commissioner Rareş Văduva arrived Monday morning at the DNA offices where he was informed about the allegations, judicial sources say. Rareş Văduva went to the hearings accompanied by a lawyer.

Rareş Văduva has taken over as DIPI head in February, after the former chief, Nicolae Gheorghe, was indicted along with the former interior minister, Gabriel Oprea, being charged with complicity to abuse of office and embezzlement.

The prosecutors are checking how the money was spent by the MAI intelligence department. According to the DNA, individuals in the DIPI leadership have classified information in order to conceal the misappropriation of funds, although the information was not likely to cause damage to the national security, digi24.ro informs.

“The DNA prosecutors – Department of anticorruption have ordered a criminal investigation on suspicion of committing various types of crimes including embezzlement, abuse of office, forgery and use of forgery, embezzlement, favouring the offender, obstruction of justice, acts that were committed by the employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs – DIPI, including the people who are or have been in senior positions with the institution,” DNA informs in a press release.

Prosecutors say that the new file is disjoined from the one of Gabriel Oprea and of the former DIPI head Nicolae Gheorghe, in which the two have been indicted.

“In order to hide the embezzlement, people in the institution’s management have ordered the classification of information and the registration of documents in the records of DIPI as state secret, although their disclosure was not likely to cause damage to the national security. These actions were made in violation of the law, the legitimate interest of the Romanian state being damaged in ensuring the transparent use of the public institutions resources,” the DNA release reads.

Rareş Văduva’s lawyer, George Pop, said while leaving the DNA premises, that currently an investigation is ongoing, but cannot give details about it.

“Currently, an investigation is ongoing. We cannot give any details. (…) We are going to show a certain position in this regard,” the lawyer said.