Searches at Police Academy in the case of threats to journalist Emilia Sercan. Main suspect to be heard

Several searches have taken place Wednesday morning at the Polie Academy in Bucharest, related to the death threats addressed to journalist Emilia Sercan. The main suspect is an officer with the Alexndru Ioan Cuza Academy, he has been remanded and is to be heard, hotnews.ro reports.

“I am stunned. A police officer, supposed to defend the law, has threatened with death an investigation journalist,” Emilia Sercan said.

Searches have also taken place at the domicile of the suspect, based on a search warrant.

Officer Adrian George Barbulescu has been taken into custody while in Slatina, Olt County, and has been brought to Bucharest, the sources said.

“It is unbelievable. I hope that, this time, the Police management will have some honour,” journalist Emilia Sercan said.

She told Digi24 TV private broadcaster that her investigations have been fair and “have hit an interest group related to plagiarism.”

“I am glad the Police have taken action so fast and after one week have identified a suspect. I hope the truth will be revealed very soon. I haven’t been officially announced. I am looking forward to find out who this person is and to understand his connections with the Academy and his interests, if he acted alone or is part of a larger group, which wanted me silent,” Sercan said.

Emilia Șercan posted on Facebook last Wednesday a message reading that she received death threats. She is known for her journalist investigations in the past years about the plagiarism cases among high rank dignitaries and also at the helm of some education institutions, with the most recent such case being the one at the Police Academy.

The journalist says that she received messages suggesting that threats are related to the topics she is currently working on.

Emilia Șercan announced she filed complaints to the Bucharest Police and that the Interior minister and the head of the Romanian General Police Inspectorate have been also informed about these threats.

The international organisation “Reporters without Borders/ Reporters sans frontières” and its branch in Romania, ActiveWatch have reacted in Emilia Sercan’s case, sending an open letter to the Interior minister Carmen Dan and to the General Police Inspector Ioan Buda, stating that “if Emilia Sercan’s safety is jeopardized, we’ll consider that the Romanian authorities are responsible for not acting and for not taking the proper actions to protect the journalist”.

carmen dandeath threatsjournalist emilia sercanpolicepolice officerreporters sans frontieressearches police academyslatina
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