Romania's anti-corruption prosecutors take Transport State Secretary in for questioning

A state secretary in Romania's Transport Ministry was recently taken into custody by the prosecutors of the Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) on alleged corruption related to certain contracts. Răducu Valentin Preda, the Transport State Secretary who is being investigated by the DNA, has already been dismissed from his position by the Prime Minister, according to Mediafax newswire, quoting unnamed sources. Preda, who joined the Ministry in May 2012, had been a counselor for the Constanta mayor, Radu Mazare, since January 2010. He had previously been a member of the board of the Constanta Harbor Administration, state secretary at the Transport Ministry for several months in 2009, as well as inspector at the Romanian Navy Authority, among other positions. The DNA is yet to give information about the accusations against the former state secretary. The Romanian PM Victor Ponta recently said many EU projects are blocked in Romania because directors who should make decisions and kick projects forward are afraid of being investigated by anti-corruption body the DNA, and the same fear is present in the Government. He went on: There are talks even in Government meetings: <We cannot do it> I am told. <But we are the Government, we issue decisions> I say. <Yes, but then the DNA will come> is the answer. So in Romania, decisions are not made for fear DNA will come and investigate the person making the decision, Ponta concluded. However, the DNA was created to fight big corruption, and not investigate every small chief of a political party in a remote village, and because of this, in fact the DNA does not do anything, because it does not have enough prosecutors, the PM explained. editor@romania-insider.com