Romania's former interior minister could be prosecuted for manslaughter

Romania’s National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) wants to start the prosecution of former interior minister Gabriel Oprea for manslaughter, in the case of the 28-year old policeman who died in October last year while opening the way for the minister’s motorcade. DNA notified the High Court of Cassation of Justice on September 1. As Oprea is still a senator, DNA needs to get the approval of the Senate to start prosecution. Oprea is also charged with abuse of power. Despite not having the right to use police escort for his trips, Oprea used it twice more than the Prime Minister and three times more than the President, who were entitled to it. He had an average of five trips per day in which he was accompanied by police escort. The policeman Bogdan Gigina died on October 20 after falling with his motorcycle into a road pit in Bucharest, while he was leading in traffic the minister’s motorcade on a rainy evening. Gigina would have turned 29 on August 31. editor@romania-insider.com