Andrei Baciu, prosecuted by the DNA in the case of the acquisition of anti-Covid 19 vaccines

The former secretary of state at the Ministry of Health, Andrei Baciu, is being prosecuted by the prosecutors of the National Anticorruption Directorate because during the period in which he was delegated the attributions of the Minister of Health, he allegedly committed the crime of abuse of office, with particularly serious consequences, it is stated in a press release issued yesterday by DNA.

The prosecutors show that Andrei Baciu, in violation of the legal provisions and in the absence of any documents/analyses attesting to the necessity of the acquisition, would have supported a memorandum approved on April 19, 2021 by the former prime minister Florin Cîţu, which would have resulted in the trading and ordering payment for the purchase, in addition, of a quantity of 4,260,269 doses of Pfizer vaccine. The prosecutors claim that the secretary of state would have undertaken the above step in the conditions in which he would have known that the number of people eligible for vaccination communicated by the Romanian state to the European Commission was 10.7 million and that the vaccine doses contracted before January 1 2021 (37,588,366 doses) would have been enough to vaccinate more than 23 million people.

Before the press release issued by the DNA and his hearing by the anti-corruption prosecutors, Andrei Baciu resigned yesterday from the position of president of the National Health Insurance Company (CNAS). After the hearing before the prosecutors, which lasted about four hours, Andrei Baciu told the journalists, upon leaving the DNA headquarters: "From my point of view, I hope that things are clear. I answered all the questions of the DNA prosecutors, I have full confidence that everything I did was in accordance with the legislation in force. I have a clear conscience regarding all the things I have done since I returned to Romania, 10 years ago, and in particular with all that I have done in the capacities and positions I have held in the last four years".

Regarding the resignation from the position of CNAS president, Mr. Baciu said: "I think it is a gesture of honor that you have to do in such a situation, without any reason or legal obligation. I had no legal obligation to resign, but I did so, actually being an honorable resignation."

Asked if the state paid the sum of one billion euros for the additional vaccines, Andrei Baciu replied that he did not know.

"It is a legitimate question to which everyone is waiting for a detailed and clear answer", stated the former president of CNAS.

Regarding the vacancy of the position of CNAS president due to the resignation submitted by Andrei Baciu, Alexandru Rafila - the Minister of Health - declared yesterday that this will be ensured by a person appointed interim, after which there will be a political decision on the basis of which he will be appointed the future president of that public institution.

We mention that on November 23, DNA prosecutors requested the President Klaus Iohannis and the Senate to approve the prosecution of the former Ministers of Health Vlad Voiculescu and Ioana Mihăilă, and the former Prime Minister Florin Cîţu for committing the crimes of abuse of office and complicity in abuse of office. The three are accused by DNA prosecutors of having contracted a surplus of 52,805,690 vaccine doses (Pfizer and Moderna) between January and May 2021, in violation of legal provisions and in the absence of any documents/analyses attesting to the need for the purchase. provided that there is a sufficient amount of vaccine in the stocks. According to DNA, the purchase of these vaccines would have caused damage to the state budget in the total amount of 1,005,498,687 euros, to which VAT is added.

On November 28, President Klaus Iohannis approved the criminal prosecution of the two former Ministers of Health, and on November 29, the Senate plenary voted to lift the parliamentary immunity of Florin Cîţu, so that the former prime minister could be prosecuted.