August 23, 2016
Vice president of the National Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices, Lazar Iordache, detained
Newsroom, 23.08.2016, 12:00
Romanian anti-corruption prosecutors have today detained the vice president of the National Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices, Lazar Iordache, for bribe giving and influence peddling. According to the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, Lazar Iordache had promised an official with the Health Ministry 5% of the amounts allotted by the Ministry to two hospitals. In April 28, 2016, Iordache allegedly gave 28 thousand euros to the Health Ministry official for the latter to make sure that the amounts earmarked for the two hospitals are disbursed. The bribe given by Iordache to the Health Ministry official came from the funds allocated by the Health Ministry for the construction of a wastewater treatment unit and for the purchase of medical devices for the two hospitals.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Italian PM Matteo Renzi discussed on Monday on board an Italian military aircraft carrier about the impact of Britain’s decision to leave the bloc. Angela Merkel has said that the EU has to prove that it is able to prosper without Britain. She recalled that the EU had been born from some of the “darkest moments” of European history but added that in the face of “enormous challenges” it must now work together, strengthening internal and external borders, boosting economic growth and providing jobs for its young people. “We respect the choice made by the citizens of Britain but we want to write a future chapter”, Italian PM Matteo Renzi has said in his turn. Europe after Brexit will relaunch the powerful ideals of unity and peace, freedom and dreams, the Italian official has also said. The meeting in Italy was held three weeks ahead of the EU summit in Bratislava, which is seen as crucial for the future of the Union.
One of the men injured in Monday’s blast at the Petromidia refinery in Navodari, in south-eastern Romania, has died this morning. Three people are currently treated in a hospital in Bucharest. The explosion occurred after a pipe broke while the three workers were making pressure tests on a reactor. The refinery was shut down for revision. Experts have measured the level of air pollution in the area but the results do not threaten people’s health. In investigation into the causes of the accident is under way.
In Romania, road freight and passenger carriers have announced they will run at low speed at least one hour per day on the main roads across Romania. They are discontented mainly because car insurance premiums have doubled from 2,000 to more than 4,000 Euros within a year. Consequently, road carriers in Romania report high costs and can no longer be competitive at a European level. The line associations call on the government to freeze car insurance premiums and have warned that if measures are not taken urgently, they might call an all-out strike on September 15. Also, animal breeders have taken to the street and continue to protest in front of the Government headquarters. They say they will give up protests only when they receive the subsides for 2015 in their entirety.
Turkey is carrying out military operations in an attempt to seize from ISIS the town of Jarablus, a city at the border with Syria. On Monday, Turkey’s foreign minister had vowed to “completely cleanse” the country’s border regions of ISIS militants, after a suspected suicide bomber with links to the group killed 54 people, including 22 children, at a Kurdish wedding. About 15 hundred Syrian rebels backed by the Turkish authorities are prepared to launch an attack to seize the town held by the militant Islamist group on Syrias border with Turkey.
(Translated by Elena Enache)
