Head of Romania’s Department for Emergency Situations investigated for helicopter purchase
Raed Arafat, the head of Romania’s Department for Emergency Situations, or DSU, was questioned and charged by military prosecutors in a case of smuggling. The charge concerns the reception of an SMURD helicopter from the United Kingdom without paying the VAT.
The Military Prosecutor’s Office officially confirmed on Tuesday, April 21, that it placed 17 people under criminal investigation for smuggling. The case concerns the way the General Inspectorate of Aviation obtained a helicopter that it imported into Romania as compensation in 2017.
The compensation came following an aviation incident in 2016, when a helicopter on an SMURD mission in the Republic of Moldova crashed. Four people died in the crash, and the helicopter was destroyed. As the helicopter was insured, Romania had to choose whether to accept compensation in money or another helicopter.
The insurance company and state representatives agreed that compensation would be made by replacing the destroyed helicopter with an aircraft of reasonably similar configuration, including in terms of the medical equipment installed on the helicopter.
In November 2017, Romania’s General Inspectorate of Aviation took ownership of the new helicopter on the island of Guernsey (a territory belonging to the United Kingdom but outside the EU VAT territory) and imported it into Romania. Its commissioning, according to the specifics of the authority, could only be carried out after completing customs formalities and granting customs clearance, including payment of the duties owed at customs.
Military prosecutors say the introduction of this aircraft into Romania and its subsequent operation took place without carrying out customs formalities, resulting in an unpaid VAT amounting to RON 4.4 million.
The DSU chief reacted to the investigation, signaling his “full willingness to cooperate with the competent authorities and to support any legitimate effort to clarify the situation.”
“However, I emphasize that, to date, no concrete elements have been presented indicating the existence of criminal acts. The persistence and expansion of these investigations regarding my person and my professional activity, in the absence of real and verifiable indications, raise serious questions about their soundness and proportionality,” Raed Arafat said on his Facebook page after being questioned at the Military Prosecutor’s Office in the helicopter smuggling case.
“A helicopter was made available that is more performant and with fewer flight hours, but this helicopter was brought here via the Isle of Man, to Romania, without paying customs duties and VAT because that is what the General Inspectorate of Aviation knew, that it was not required. I understand that I am considered an accomplice. There are many questions,” he also said.
“I have never facilitated any smuggling, ever in my life. I never imagined I would be an accomplice to helicopter smuggling. Even if I end up in court, I believe the court will understand that this is something almost laughable,” Arafat added.
Another case handled by the Military Prosecutor’s Office and reported on at the beginning of the month by Digi24 concerns fictitious employment at the Department for Emergency Situations. However, Raed Arafat claimed to have no status in this case. The two cases are handled by the same prosecutor, he said.
Raed Arafat has been leading the Department for Emergency Situations since January 2014. He is also a state secretary in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Calin)
