Radu Traian Mărginean, the head of the Romanian Customs Department, indicted for taking bribe

The head of the National Customs Authority (ANV), Radu Traian Mărginean, was indicted yesterday by the prosecutors of the National Anticorruption Department of Oradea, for taking bribe in the case of influence peddling of the customs of Halmeu.

The hearing of Radu Mărginean by the DNA of Oradea was announced in advance by BURSA, in yesterday"s edition.

The indictment represents a first since the outburst of the contraband scandal, which only involved simple policemen and customs employees.

The charges in the case against the customs of Halmeu, are that two businessmen have demanded and received from customs inspector Nicoleta Dobrescu, in September 2009, 130,000 Euros, in exchange for the promise to intercede in her favor with the head of the National Customs Authority, Radu Traian Mărginean, so he would appoint her as the head of the customs of Halmeu. A few days later, on September 23rd, 2009, Nicoleta Dobrescu was temporarily appointed, by order of Mărginean, as head of the Halmeu customs, prosecutors say.

According to them, the 130,000 Euros were raised from usurers and from persons involved in cigarette contraband with the help of an employee of a local duty free shop.

The prosecutors of the DNA also show that a similar scenario happened in the spring of 2010, when the temporary mandate of Nicoleta Dobrescu as head of the Halmeu customs expired.

The prosecutors showed that on that date, one of the businessmen requested 300,000 Euros for extending her mandate. The Court of Satu Mare issued orders for the arrest of several persons in this second case.

The presentation of the prosecutors states that the amounts were raised for a political party and for the head of an institution.

PSD senator for the county of Baia Mare, Valer Marian, recently said, in a political statement, that the money went into the political campaign of the PDL for the year 2009. Valer Marian also claimed in the aforementioned statement, that the appointment of Nicoleta Dobrescu was signed by the president of the Romanian Tax Administration Agency (ANAF), Sorin Blejnar himself.

Concerning the scandal of the customs, president Traian Băsescu said that his wish is for the operation for fighting tax evasion in the customs to reach "the queen".

According to the president of the Sed Lex union, Vasile Lincu, the head of the ANV, Radu Mărginean is just a "rook on the chessboard", far from being "the most important piece". The union leader claimed that he has information that Sorin Blejnar, the head of the ANAF would resign. Sorin Blejnar was called yesterday at the Government"s headquarters by PM Emil Boc, with the main subject of the discussion being precisely the scandal around the corruption in the customs.

Tudor Dumitru