The Judge of the ‘Colectiv’ file, Valeriu Mihail Terceanu, has applied for retirement, the request being on the agenda of the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) on Tuesday.
If the magistrate retires, the lawsuit will resume from scratch. It is not a singular case, similar situations being recorded in the past in the files where PSD leader Liviu Dragnea and ALDE chairman Călin Popescu Tăriceanu have been investigated, based on an ECHR decision on the continuity of the judges’ panel.
Prosecutors with the Prosecutor General’s Office filed a lawsuit in the ‘Colective’ file on April 28, 2016. The owners of the night club, George Alin Anastasescu, Paul Catalin Gancea and Costin Mincu, are accused of manslaughter and bodily injuries. The investigations have been extended to the representatives of the fireworks company, Golden Ideas Fireworks, hotnews.ro informs.
On January 15, 2018, the judges of the Bucharest Court decided to bring the case before that court together with that of the Military Court file, in which two Emergency Situations Inspectorate (ISU) employees, Antonina Radu and George Petrică Matei, were investigated for abuse of office.
The same case is also included the former Mayor of District 4, Cristian Popescu Piedone.
Viorel Zaharia, the company’s shot-firer, is accused of manslaughter and bodily injury while the owners Cristian Niţă and Daniela Niţă are charged with favouring the perpetrator and removing or destroying evidence or inscriptions.
SC Colectiv Club SRL and SC Golden Ideas Fireworks Artists SRL are charged in the file with aggravated manslaughter, resulting in the death of several persons and bodily harm in aggravated form, resulting in injuries to several people.
The ‘Colectiv’ nightclub conflagration claimed 64 lives and left more than 140 injured.
The Colectiv club was located on 7, Tabacarilor Street in District 4 in the Capital. A fire burst on the night of October 30, 2015 during a concert performed by “Goodbye to Gravity” band. The local rock band was launching their latest album. The fire was caused by some fireworks scheduled in the show and has rapidly expanded due to the inflammable material of the club’s walls. The numerous people attending the show practically crowded to get out of the club, but many remained trapped inside and burnt to death. There were hundreds of people in there and only one exit way. Moreover, there were few fire extinguishers that were out of service. Four of the band’s members died in the fire, whereas the vocalist was severely injured.