OBSERVER - February 15th 2005
The Chief of the State avoids clearing up the things regarding the house in the 2nd Stefan Mihaileanu Street by saying only that this was a legal deal. In the meantime, the President demands a work residence from the state.
By OANA STANCU, MONICA ANDREI
"TARGETS". The house in the Mihaileanu Street, as well as the one in Otopeni, is vulnerable to the possible threats against President Taraian Basescu. |
The specialists say that this kind of a statement should have been in the file that Mayor Traian Basescu handed in when he signed the rent contract - the 14th of August 2002, as well as in the moment of the buying, on the 4th of February 2003, the date on the sales contract. According to the contract between Traian Basescu and the Administration of the Real Estate Fund, the sale was based on the Law no. 112/1995. The respective law provides that the lessee that lived in the house at the time of the lawâs validation (in 1995) only can buy the house. There is also an extra condition: the lessee shouldnât have owned or transferred any houses after 1990.
However, when he purchased the house in the Mihaileanu Street, the Chief of the State already owned a house: the mansion in the Bucuresti-Ploiesti road (bought on the 21st of October 2002), a mansion which he donated to his daughter, Ioana, in November 2002.
The legal advisers say that the only way for annulling the contract is the appeal to the Court. Counselor Doru Giugula believes that, in this case, President Traian Basescu would lose the money and the house as well. "The Court of Law is the only one able to annul this contract. In this case, Basescu would have to denounce himself by explaining he had illegally purchased a house. Therefore, he will lose the house as well as the money he paid for it", says Giugula. If this were not the case here, how much would Basescu ask in exchange for the 640 million lei? 19,301 USD at that time equals 22,850 USD today, according to yesterdayâs currency rates. How could AREF justify the loss of 3,500 USD? On the other hand, he might ask for money for his investments in the houseâ¦
ANOTHER HOUSE. However, the Chief of the State gives up on the house in the Mihaileanu Street. "At this time I have to ask for a house from the RA-APPS, because the house in the Mihaileanu Street, as well as the house in the 1st NR (National Road) are not in accordance to the security measures usually taken for Romaniaâs President", Basescu argued.
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Translated by SORIN BALAN