Ex-president Basescu suggests investigation on Dragnea’s swine farm

Former president Traian Basescu on Wednesday slammed the Chamber speaker Liviu Dragnea over alleged swine farm in the Parliament’s plenary sitting during debates on the claimed “ budget gap” during the previous Ciolos Government. Basescu stated that the MPs had rather set up investigation committee for the swine farm in Teleorman (owned by PSD chairman Liviu Dragnea’s son) than for Ciolos’ “alleged budget gap”.

“Mr. president, it would be better an investigation committee for the swine farm in Teleorman rather than for Mr. Ciolos’ budget,” Basescu, PMP senator told the plenary sitting.

According to Hotnews, Dragnea’s son, Stefan Valentin Dragnea has become the shareholder at the swine farm in Teleorman in April 2014. According to the contracts of the Trade Register, Dragnea’s son has taken over the majority shares package for only RON 500 (EUR 110). His swine farm has received subsidies worth EUR 3 M from the European Union in the past three years, as reported by the Payments and Intervention Agency for Agriculture (APIA).

At the same time, Liviu Dragnea is accused that precisley for this reason he is intensely promoting measures for swine breeders in the PSD ruling programme.

“There are untrue statements,” Dragnea replied to Basescu. “I have relatives who have pigs, chickens, or cultivate tomatoes. If I search well, I will always find someone close who will benefit of a Government’s measure,” the PSD chairman added.

The Parliament’s joint chambers have debated the report of the parliamentary investigation committee on the budget rectifications made by the Ciolos Gov’t. The PSD-ALDE coalition accused that it has found a RON 10 billion budget gap after taking over ruling.

The investigation committee was set up on January 16, with the former premier Dacian Ciolos calling it a populist action.

The committee’s report was to be voted on Wednesday, but Dragnea proposed to send it back to the committee and his proposal was voted by 201 to 81.

A deputy of the Save Romanian Union (USR) said that the committee should also probe into the first months of the PSD ruling’s budget.

Traian Basescu said he has voted against resending the report to the committee, arguing the committee “is just a political masquerade”.