Anticorruption annual report
The National Anticorruption Directorate of Romania presented its annual activity report on Thursday.
Corina Cristea, 28.02.2025, 13:50
5,400 anticorruption investigations were closed and nearly 260 people holding management positions were prosecuted in Romania last year, according to the activity report presented by the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA). It was one of the Directorate’s best years, says the head of the institution, Marius Voineag, with numerous achievements and a generally positive trend, confirmed by the evolution of statistical, quantitative and qualitative indicators and especially by the increase in the diversity of the type of evidence administered and the significant decrease in the degree of acquittals. The anticorruption chief prosecutor says the institution he leads has technical capabilities that rival those of Western institutions. Marius Voineag also announced he intends to continue to prioritize cases where a lot of money is at stake, due to high temptations and the significant impact such cases have on society. “You won’t get away with the money”, Marius Voineag told those who violate the law.
“At the end of last year, the balance of assets effectively frozen amounted to over €56 million. Over the course of 2024, precautionary measures were ordered in the amount of €47 million, reflecting our constant concern for the recovery of criminal proceeds generated by corruption or similar crimes. The intensification of our activity in terms of recovering the proceeds of crime is intended to send a message to all those who are tempted to commit corruption or similar abuses, in the sense that no one should ever be able to keep the money”.
Attending the official presentation of the Directorate’s yearly activity report, Interior Minister Cătălin Predoiu spoke about the global phenomenon of corruption, which has gained momentum, despite efforts to stop it, both in Romania and at global level. Regarding the recovery of crime-derived proceeds, the Romanian official believes Romania is far from an ideal position, and that there is a need for better institutional and international cooperation, the adaptation of tactics and the specialization of police officers and prosecutors.
“There has been talk for years about recovering the proceeds of crime. Great efforts have been made in this regard in recent times. Progress has been made, we have the relevant institutions, the culture has changed too, it is very true. But I think we are, however, far from the ideal goal of not letting anyone keep the money. The truth is that many people are left with a lot of money, as we well know. So, there is room for improvement in this direction of recovering the proceeds of crime. Of course, it remains to be seen whether we also need to improve the legislative framework, whether it is a matter of tactics or method. At any rate, we all know it is very difficult, on the other hand, to recover absolutely all the proceeds of crime. That’s virtually impossible and I think that no country in the world manages to accomplish that”.
Cătălin Predoiu also emphasized that combating corruption must remain a top priority, and the institutions involved in the process should continue to show good results. (VP)
