Opposition Deputy: Berceanu Should Be In Prison, Not In Government

Greater Romania Party deputy Lia Olguta Vasilescu, in opposition, alleged Wednesday the newly appointed transportation minister Radu Berceanu was guilty of tax evasion, money laundering, incompatibility and abuse of office.

"Such crimes put a man in prison, not in a ministerial seat," Vasilescu said, asking for Berceanu’s resignation.

She backed her allegations with documents issued in 2003 by the National Authority for Control, which was dismantled before taking any further action against Berceanu.

Berceanu, 53, was appointed transportation minister Tuesday, in the four-party center-right government. He was a deputy in all parliaments since 1992, and since 2004 he was a senator with the Democrat Party. Between 1998 and 2000 he was minister for the industries and commerce.

Vasilescu said Berceanu was incompatible with his position as a senator, since late last year he was still the administrator of Parky, one of the companies he was a shareholder to.

Also, the speed boats and kayaks maker Avi Craiova, where Berceanu is the majority stock owner, benefited in 2004 from VAT exemptions, without qualifying for it, Vasilescu said.

Nedarom, another of Berceanu’s companies, enjoyed the same favorable and illegal treatment, Vasilescu alleged.

She also said that Berceanu set up in 2000 a joint Romanian-Chinese company, which in fact never existed, but served only for money laundering purposes, Vasilescu alleged.

She said she will send copies of the documents backing her statements to the Prosecutor’s General Office, the National Office for Prevention and Fighting of Money Laundering, the President and the Prime Minister.

Vasilescu said she is going to receive soon other documents, proving Berceanu forced the state-owned electricity retailer Electrica to procure poles made by Avi, the company he owned. The poles were never used by Electrica, Vasilescu said.