One bad Orange — Corruption in the Romanian Justice System
Here at Romania Corruption Watch we have been accused of being paid sockpuppets for the “Romanian Government” (whatever that means) by the likes of playwright and embezzler Alexandru Adamescu. We have been taunted on Twitter by accounts claiming that our “anticorruption dream of hundreds of thousands in the streets” is dead. And yet we have persevered for we like to think of ourselves as equal opportunity offenders. So you should not take our defense of the Romanian justice system as anything more than it is: a defense of the rule of law as one of the very prerequisites of a democratic society. This does not mean, of course, that we believe in the infallibility of the justice system or of the magistrates it is comprised of. On the contrary, when we have reason to, we are its harshest critics, as we try to be the watchers who watch the watchers. Because corruption is no stranger to those who have to prosecute and rule on it, and often it is a little too well known for comfort.
Corruption amongst magistrates is a serious matter. A report from December 2015 by the Romanian Supreme Magistrate’s Council listed no less than 36 different cases where judges or prosecutors had received final sentences in corruption charges in 2014 and 2015, with a further hundred and ten more having received administrative sanctions. According to the Judicial Inspection, the independent review body that the ruling coalition is desperately trying to subordinate to the executive, in 2016 four prosecutors and 12 judges received administrative sanctions, two of the latter being completely excluded from the profession.
The data for 2017 is still not out, with the Judicial Inspection report due mid-March but there is one case that has kept the presses hot for a while, the case of prosecutor Negulescu.
The Negulescu case is at once sinister and an example of the blackest type of comedy, in that the former prosecutor sabotaged his career, broke the law and brought disgrace to his profession, in the name of love or, at least, sex. Negulescu, also known as Portocala (literally, Orange) to his friends was a National Anticorruption Directorate prosecutor working in Ploiești, one of the richer cities in one of the richer counties, Prahova.
Close to Bucharest, Prahova has the triple benefits of real-estate, natural resources and tourism and is a big trophy to any politician that can nab it. To a large extent, Prahova is run by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and, for a long time, it was run specifically by the Cosma Family. The Cosma family consists of Mircea Cosma, the man who ran the Prahova County Council as President for 12 years, Vlad Cosma, MP in the chamber of deputies for one term and his sister, Andreea who is currently serving in the same capacity.
The elder Cosma and his son both have criminal convictions for corruption which they have appealed, and where the final decision is due in late February 2018. Andreea Cosma is also on trial for a corruption case where, in her capacity as public notary, she undervalued a plot of land owned by the government, causing a prejudice estimated at €35 million. Enter agent Orange, Negulescu, who, for lack of a better word, fell in love with Mrs. Cosma. Alas it was the type of love that was unrequited. Negulescu started propositioning Cosma, then harassing her, then blackmailing her by threatening to throw her whole family in prison, not that they needed too much help.
All the while sending her a barrage of alternatively threatening and soliciting messages which, to be fair, Cosma had a habit of encouraging. Needless to say the story broke out in the press, with Cosma as victim and Negulescu as perpetrator. Coupled with hidden camera recordings of Negulescu slipping information to another person under investigation. Soon the DNA was asking for Orange’s resignation which, to his credit he offered soon after.
The story does not end there — and therein lies the problem with magistrate corruption. Corruption on the part of the prosecution means that the corrupt themselves stand to gain. Since Negulescu’s resignation and disbarment, the pro-PSD press has been awash with recordings of the prosecutor bragging about putting people in jail for petty offences or blackmailing and forging evidence. So now, despite all the evidence against them, the Cosmas stand a chance at getting away scot free. Several Ghiță cases are also teetering because of Negulescu’s involvement. All it took was one bad orange to cast a dim light on the good work of many prosecutors.
The justice system, however, soldiers on. As does the Cosma Family. Andreea is still an MP, still under investigation and has filed criminal charges against Negulescu. Vlad Cosma is on vacation and will not be responding to a summons by the DNA. Yet it may be his last vacation in a while. Final sentencing is due later this month on Vlad’s case. Stay tuned!
