ANAF head sacked amid corruption charges

Who was named interim?

PM Dacian Cioloș signed the decree relieving the head of the tax revenue body of his position on Thursday afternoon, after Gelu Diaconu refused to resign.

The premier’s move could be foreseen right after president of the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF), Gelu Diaconu announced he wouldn’t resign, as there is no case against him.

Earlier in the morning, PM Dacian Cioloș said he had discussed with Gelu Diaconu and his situation “will be clarified” during the day, hinting that the ANAF head would be sacked, but that he is waiting for a replacement proposal from the Finance minister.

“He explained to me the reasons why he considers he is not guilty of any charge, but considering the accusations, he understood that it’s better to clarify his situation for the institution’s sake,” PM Cioloș said, underlining ‘it’s important to not preserve an ambiguity state at ANAF’ and that the current president should clarify his situation in court.

PM Cioloș also removed ANAF vice-president Mihai Gogancea-Vătăşoiu from office, as he is being prosecuted in the same case, under the same charges.

The president of the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF), Gelu Diaconu refused to resign on Thursday as the Finance minister had asked him to a day ago, rejecting charges brought by the anti-corruption body in the file where he is being prosecuted for abuse of office next to the ANAF vice-president Mihai Gogancea-Vătăşoiu. Diaconu qualified the DNA file as ‘Kafka-like.’

The ANAF head argues that the only charge against him and against his colleague is that “they issued two illegal form letters ordering the suspension of the notices of assessment regarding the payment of the health insurances related to the interests for child benefits and for persons in need.

“I remind the public opinion that the aberrance stipulated in the Tax Code prompted the IT application to send notices of assessment of hundreds of lei for incomes of 2, 3 lei, as the health insurance was calculated against the minimum income and not against the actual income,” the ANAF president explained.

“Prosecutor Țuluș considers that I suspended the release of these notices targeting hundreds of thousands of children and persons with low incomes in order to help in fact a limited group of some hundreds persons for some sums of money hundreds of thousands lower than the ones that the parents of the children and pensioners would have paid. Moreover, I also reiterate that the request to fix this fiscal aberrance came right from the prime-minister and the Finance minister of that time,” Diaconu added.

He said it is unacceptable that a institution so important like ANAF ‘should be destabilised due to one person or several others’ bad faith, ignorance or supererogation, by jeopardising the structural deficit target and the entire economic security of Romania.’

Gelu Diaconu and Mihai Gogancea-Vătăşoiu are both prosecuted for abuse of office. Finance minister Anca Dragu asked for their resignations, arguing that “the tax revenue body is one of the most important institutions in Romania and its leadership must be beyound any doubt.”

New interim head at ANAF

Governmental sources told Agerpres that Daniel Diaconescu would take over the interim at the helm of the national revenue body following Diaconu’s removal.

Diaconescu has been general director of the General Direction of Fiscal Information within ANAF. He has 10 years experience with fiscal administration and on the protection of the EU’s financial interests.

According to his latest wealth statement, Diaconescu earned RON 7,000 per month in 2014, as well as a RON 18,000 indemnity from the Romanian Lottery. He also owns two houses, two cars ant two plots of land.