The case of the police traffic officer suspect of child molesting two minors in Bucharest at the end of last week got the wind upon the public opinion, but also the Interior Ministry (MAI). In a press conference on Monday the ministry’s spokeswoman Monica Dajbog has heralded radical measures in the ministry, denouncing “the old and badly managed system” that needs “a real reform”. Yet, Daboj pointed out that “not the entire Police must be blamed”.
“There is huge tension and the minister of Interior hasn’t wanted to put an extra pressure on the investigators by publicly coming out on this case first thing this morning. At the same time, the minister appreciates the attitude of the Police Brigade, which has recognized the aggressor and has announced the team of investigators,” Dajbog stated.
The minister also sent the message that all police chiefs who “had hidden the issues under the carpet to take a step back”.
“Policemen have proved they are united each time when claiming their rights. Yet, there is a limit that cannot be overruled: law breaking. Today’s case must not be superficially approached. Not all the Police must be blamed, but the system must be corrected. Not all policemen are guilty. The few ones who commit serious abuses are caught and fired from the Police. Side slips are found in all the police systems in the world, but it’s important that bad things should be amended,” the MAI spokeswoman said.
“This serious situation definitely asks for a serious review over the ministry’s employees, and in this case it’s not about a new employee (…) he has been in the system from 1990 and at the Traffic Brigade since 2010. The ministry admits that there have been other serious side slips among the policemen in time, which means the current system has no testing tools.”
The Interior Minister’s spokesperson says that “a general review of the Police management” is absolutely necessary.
“Honest-minded people in the system know better than anyone else that the system is old, insufficiently organized and badly managed in many fields. A real reform is needed and we’ll see if the reform could be done with the same persons who have led the system in the past years,” Monica Dajbog said.
So, the Interior minister decided that all those police chiefs who have hidden the issues under the carpet must take a step back until the diagnosis in the system ends.
“The issues of the system are not related just to the staff shortage or the wage. This type of situations reflects a picture that must be urgently changed. The minister has asked the suspect’s chief to answer some questions to the public by Wednesday. How accurate have been the tests and when the last test on the agent has taken place? How it was possible he hasn’t pinned down this agent’s problems, what were his professional scores, etc”, the ministry’s spokeswoman concluded, adding the ministry will not talk about the investigation itself, as it will be clarified by the investigators.
USR asks for the Interior minister’s resignation
On the other hand, USR opposition party has asked the Interior Minister Carmen Dan to resign over the way the ministry has handled the searches in this case. USR argued that minister Dan must take responsibility for her subordinates.
“We witness a new proof of the Interior Minister’s incompetence, which means a change at the top of the ministry is required. Carmen Dan must take responsibility for her subordinates and for the problems in the system”, USR says in a press release.