[Romania-News] Solving the puzzle of Romanian woman abducted by North Korea

[Vali Nas]

Group returns  
from Romania


The Yomiuri Shimbun

Members of a support group and an association for the families of Japanese
abducted by North Korea arrived back in Japan on Monday after visiting
Romania to meet relatives of Doina Bumbea, a Romanian woman believed to have
been abducted by Pyongyang in 1978.

Representatives of the group and the association met with Doina's mother,
Petra, 76, and younger brother, Gabriel Bumbea, 40.

"Both sides said they would work together to clarify what actually happened
in the abductions," said Teruaki Masumoto, 51, secretary general of the
association, at a press conference at Narita Airport. Hitomi Soga, 47, who
was abducted in 1978 and returned home in 2002, and her husband, U.S. Army
deserter Charles Jenkins, previously said they had shared an apartment with
an abducted Romanian woman. Doina is thought to be the wife of Joe Dresnok,
another U.S. Army deserter living in North Korea.

(Apr. 10, 2007)
 
C The Yomiuri Shimbun
 

 
Vali
"Noble blood is an accident of fortune; noble actions are the chief mark of
greatness." (Carlo Goldoni)

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know
peace." (Jimi Hendrix)

[Romania-News] Corruption down in Romania, but still an issue

[Vali Nas]

SETimes
Published on SETimes (http://www.setimes.com)
 

http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/
2007/04/09/feature-03

Corruption down in Romania, but still an issue


09/04/2007

The 2006 anti-corruption report on Romania shows increased and sustained
activity on the part of authorities. But a higher number of defendants
proves graft is still a reality.

By Paul Ciocoiu for Southeast European Times in Bucharest -- 09/04/07

Fighting corruption has been one of the top priorities of Romanian
authorities, especially since graft was one of the main sectors in which EU
monitored Romania closely before its January 1st, 2007, accession. However,
this social scourge is far from being eradicated, a report released by the
National Anti-corruption Department (DNA) shows. 

"We can now see the struggle of the wretched system in its entire splendor,"
said President Traian Basescu, who attended the official release of the
report. He called on prosecutors to make themselves immune to "media
pressures" and to break the criminal relationships between politicians and
businessmen. 

"Your mission is to go to the very end, to the political factor that enables
the protection of the high-profile crimes and that costs the Romanian
citizen everyday," he added. 

Last year was crucial for the implementation of the national anti-corruption
reform -- in 2005, the EU imposed a special safeguard clause on Romania that
permitted accession to be delayed a year if requirements in this field were
not met. 

According to the report, DNA prosecutors solved more than 1,000 files out of
a total of 2,600 in 2006. Out of the 1,092 solved cases, 127 were sent to
trial, representing 929 crimes. 

Of the 360 defendants indicted, 149 had important, leading or control
positions. "The whole damage inflicted amounts to more than 50m euros," said
DNA chief prosecutor Daniel Morar. 

Seven MPs, one minister, two state secretaries, two counsel presidents, one
DNA chief-prosecutor prefect and two mayors were investigated and indicted
in 2006. In most of these cases, the acts of corruption were linked to the
prerogatives of the suspects' positions. In 2006, DNA also charged five
magistrates, four judges and a prosecutor. 

The number of customs officers indicted by the DNA last year increased eight
times compared to 2005 -- 24 compared to 3, said Morar. As for police
officers, 54 were investigated last year compared to 24 in 2005. Morar
explained that a network of 20 police workers involved in illegal activities
had been uncovered. Some of the officers were charged after obstructing
justice during investigations by giving bribes or trafficking influence. 

The chief-prosecutor stressed that such corruption cases can no longer be
viewed as isolated incidents. Their frequency explains the high Corruption
Perception Index in Romania, as defendants are part of the professional
segments that the public interacts with daily.

(C) SETimes


 
Vali
"Noble blood is an accident of fortune; noble actions are the chief mark of
greatness." (Carlo Goldoni)

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know
peace." (Jimi Hendrix)