A new case of local corruption blew out on Wednesday, after anti-corruption prosecutors have conducted several searches at Timisoara County Council and several town halls HQs. The Social Democrat Timisoara Council leader, Titu Bojin has been seized from his place and taken to the Anti-corruption Directorate for hearings.He is allegedly charged with bribery, influence peddling and abuse of office.
State Assets Capitalization Authority (AVAS) vice-president Stan Popa was heard as well at DNA, prosecutors claiming he would have been involved in corruption actions in this file. A county councilman, 17 mayors the manager of Banat Village Museum, officials from Timisoara Water Administration and Timisoara Roads and Bridges Direction were also heard in this case.
Subsequently, few hours later, prosecutors extended investigations in this case and conducted more searches at several yards in Bucharest, Timisoara, Cluj, Brasov, Sibiu, Ploiesti, Arad, Suceava and Iasi.
A total of 48 searched have been conducted, 20 of them taking place at public institutions’ HQs.
According to judicial sources quoted by Agerpres, nine CFR Calatori, (Romanian state passenger railway carrier) yards would have signed products supplying contracts worth over RON 190,000 on the crook with Ecomet West Ltd, a company owned by an acquaintance of Timisora County Council leader Titu Bojin. The contracts have been signed this summer for overrated acquisition prices. Ecomet West Ltd would have allegedly benefited by some public acquisition contracts sealed with town halls and other public institutions in Timisoara County following Bojin’s pressures.
Titu Bojin, one of Timisoara weighty local leaders
The President of Timis County Council, 61-year-old Titu Bojin, is considered one of Ilie Sârbu’s protégés. Bojin used to be in the local administration since 1986, when became Remetea Mare mayor until 1992. In 1996 he took again the mayor’s office. He has also run Banat Waters Direction for ten years.
In his last wealth statement in June 2013, Titu Bojin points out he has two lands in Remetea Mare, one of over 2,300 square meters and the other of 1.46 hectares. He owns a house in the same village and EUR 7,000 jewelry.
Bojin is known as being close to Ilie Sârbu, premier Ponta’s father-in-law. As a matter of fact, it was precisely the relation with Sârbu that allowed him to keep his manager position at Banat Waters Direction for so many years, even during the period when the Democrat Liberal Party was ruling. Local media has frequently reported on Bojin family’ s contracts with the Waters Direction since 1998, with their companies always “subscribing” to subcontracting works.