Date and author unclear

24 February 2004

The European Commission issued a barely-veiled warning to Romania

Tuesday to adopt new child protection laws to get its troubled EU

membership bid back on track.

Google TranslationHHC house , taken the signature Botis , threatening the lives of children Maramuresby Theophilus Ivanciuc and Catalin Vischi Gazette MaramuresMonday, February 23, 2004 , 0:00 One of the homes purchased by HHC Romania fire causes that could be prevented. Lives of 12 children with severe mental disabilities was threatened. From the information , statements and documents that we have , we conclude that the main culprits for this situation are Stefan Augustin D?r?bu? and Botis . Follow demonstration .Due to lack of exhaust stack , one of the houses purchased by the foundation "Home and Hope for Children " Romania ( HHC ) and managed by the General Directorate Maramures County for Child Protection ( DPC ) fire. At that time there were 12 kids in the house !Sinister motives could have been avoided if the building were safety standards . From our point of view , which we will argue , the main culprits are the HHC director and director of DPC .Last , because he agreed to sign the loan agreement between the Foundation and the State institution he leads , without buildings taken to be right! They do not even have a stable elementary permits , for example, and children living there . But anyone care ? Wrong seriously , you expect resignations of honor , gentlemen.Exercise of imaginationMaramures , February 14, 2004 , at 2 , in a cold night .Stefan D?r?bu? , national director HHC Romania , thrashed sleeping in silk bedding bedroom private villa on the street Andrei Muresan , 11 of Baia Mare. Dream on welfare gained three years since lead Romanian subsidiary of a prestigious British charity foundations .Meanwhile, the prestige was mixed with scandals arising from questionable way and - at times - illegally (see Articles Gazeta ) In the HHC " implemented new project of institutionalization of children ."Augustin Botis Director CPD Americanized asleep dreaming of cupids and Valentine's Day replica rights that scrijeleste poet 's up, unrebuked of consciousness that brought a pen with which he signed as a state institution (!) he leads to take homes bailment " wrong " HHC purchased . For the sake of the children , of course.Children from the family home on George Street in Sighet Bilascu shivering in the cold at -22 degrees Celsius. All 12 minors suffering from severe mental disabilities were woken and removed snow .The house that " has bought HHC " and that Botis and gave endorsement to institutionalized juveniles adapostesca Romanian state ( like those Casoaia , bought big money would have been right and meets safety standards ) , turned into a blast of fire. The children were transported shivering at Center Street Avram Iancu .It was an exercise in imagination. Except the last one . Or was I ?They had permission !Military Firefighters managed to control the flames before they devour the entire house . Major Liviu Moldovan, Sighet Fire Company Commander , said the fire was caused by the lack of exhaust stack !" We found that instead of the chimney there is a sheet metal tube with asbestos ! Building walls , built of wood, had not been fireproofed . Moreover, the house did not have authorization Bilascu PSI ! to overheat and ignite walls. Preliminary estimates say the damage would amount to about 4-600 million .Owner should know best what was in the house , or, until now , the Department of Children not sent any document in this regard, " said Moldovan.Instead, HHC ( building owner ) sent an engineer to assess the damage , failing to communicate But Sighet conclusions !From what Major Moldovan, no other family homes in Sighet , " do not have permits ." It seems that no heating was not installed by authorized specialists because ISCIR Cluj ( authority control ) are currently investigating the installation . A kind of " scalping " we 've already used .In addition, the plant switchboard melted in a suspect , which gives the suspicion that the fire originated , and any errors could be electric order .So Botis signed for some houses that had permits Elementary ! Worse is, Sighet administration representatives said that after their science , none of the property has : environmental permit , health or PSI ! The only opinions seem to be the veterinary solved by a current employee of DPC .There have been warned !Very serious : because the fire was detected DPC Since September 15, 2003 ! Then George Russian , administrator DPC for the Sighet , sent a note of serious irregularities service which refer to all subordinate homes .Referring only to the house that burned ( just have not gone for days bag , sir Botis ) , Russian specified that " the old house not made ??repairs. Arrangement is proposed in administrative spaces .Acquired buildings , major repairs are inadequate : the door hinges are inadequate , garage arranged for relaxation room , the door shut with plywood , lack of access to the kitchen door , electrical outlets installed in bathrooms without protection , improper chimney (Case fire , editor . ) PVC coated walls - improperly PSI ( ! ) , septic tank located near the building 3 meters without access emptying (!) , access bridge nailing ( have not been able to verify the work of bridge ) , the ramp and the stairs contratreptele - inappropriate for children with disabilities. " findings were drawn technician Michael Oroz .Nobody knows how it is with the two houses on Bilascu , new and old . Are in the same yard, the old are street has only a ground floor and is of brick, the new wood and plaster , it's back.Botis knew !On February 3, 2004 , Russian and Moldovan Flower (manager) , send a note to the new DPC requesting emergency " hiring an electrician , plumber and stoker - mechanic to remedy electrical outlets disjointed , broken windows , cracked pipes and valves and crooked , electrical faults , etc. ." The two said the staff specializes in caring for children with disabilities and is undersized compared to actual needs .Being required " to ensure a minimum amount per month 10-15 million in early , to ensure urgent In the current work , the materials that were not tendered Maintenance ( valves , fittings , windows, sanitary materials, etc. . ) ."At this " mountain " of complaints and findings of irregularities (which proved fatal ! ) DPC director did not even bother to respond .Poverty lot of moneyThese days institutionalized children eat potato flakes , potato not true , because ... no money (!) . Botis came to Sighet just two days after the fire , and when a child died last month, one of Baia Mare did not come to the funeral .Same Botis told employees " estate " Sighet "If you're good , you have to deal with no money."D?r?bu? and collective guiltThe house that burned was purchased under HHC acts from some Muresan ( although he belonged to a particular Florin Pop! - Researchers) to 44.000 USD . Sighet Realtors have told us that such property is not worth that amount ! House Street Bilascu is constructed entirely of plaster , on a street not even paved !Moreover, the project specifies that buildings " will be equipped with elevators and other lift equipment for children and staff members . The houses will have one level - ground . "Well, the house burned has two levels, but may have thought it was " good " for children to climb stairs , do muscles, even if they have multiple handicaps .When I had to nominate the person who decided to acquire houses were involved D?r?bu? said " all those who had to make a decision to purchase a property : Georgette Mulheir , national director , I, as the director of Maramures , Delia Pop director of Development , an independent engineer who deals with structures of resistance , plus my technical team of two people.So I was about six people and another representative of the DPC (which should say if it corresponds ) , "said D?r?bu? .=============================================

Casa HHC, preluata pe semnatura de Botis, pune in pericol viata copiilor maramureseni

Una dintre casele cumparate de HHC Romania a luat foc din cauze care puteau fi prevenite. Viata a 12 copii cu dizabilitati psihice severe a fost pusa in pericol. Din informatiile, declaratiile si actele pe care le detinem, concluzionam ca principalii vinovati pentru aceasta situatie sunt Stefan Darabus si Augustin Botis. Urmeaza demonstratia.



Din cauza lipsei cosului de evacuare, una din casele achizitionate de fundatia “Home and Hope for Children” Romania (HHC) si gestionate de Directia Generala Judeteana pentru Protectia Drepturilor Copilului Maramures (DPC) a luat foc. In acel moment in casa existau 12 copii!



Motivul sinistrului putea fi evitat daca imobilul ar fi fost la standarde de siguranta. Din punctul nostru de vedere, pe care-l vom argumenta, principalii vinovati sunt directorul HHC si directorul DPC.



Ultimul, pentru ca a acceptat sa semneze acordul de comodat Intre fundatie si institutia Statului pe care o conduce, fara ca imobilele preluate sa fie In regula! Acestea nu au nici macar autorizatiile elementare pentru un grajd, de exemplu, iar acolo locuiau copii. Dar, Ii pasa cuiva? Ati gresit grav, va asteptam demisiile de onoare, domnilor.



Exercitiu de imaginatie



Maramures, 14 februarie 2004, ora 2, intr-o noapte geroasa.



Stefan Darabus, director national HHC Romania, doarme zvarcolit in asternuturile de matase din dormitorul vilei personale de pe strada Andrei Muresan, 11 din Baia Mare. Viseaza la bunastarea dobandita in cei trei ani de cand conduce filiala romaneasca a unei prestigioase fundatii britanice de caritate.



Intre timp, prestigiul a fost amestecat cu scandaluri generate de modul discutabil si - pe alocuri - ilegal (vezi articolele GAZETEI) In care HHC “a implementat noul proiect de institutionalizare a copiilor”.



Augustin Botis, directorul DPC, doarme visand la Cupidonii americanizati de ziua Sfantului Valentin si la drepturile la replica pe care le scrijeleste cu poetica-i pana, nemustrat de constiinta care i-a pus pixul In mana cu care a semnat ca institutia de Stat (!) pe care o conduce sa ia In comodat casele “In neregula” cumparate de HHC. De dragul copiilor, bineInteles.



Copiii de la Casa de tip familial de pe strada Gheorghe Bilascu din Sighet dardaie In frig, la -22 de grade Celsius. Toti cei 12 minori, suferind de dizabilitati psihice severe, au fost treziti din somn si scosi In zapada.



Casa pe care “le-a cumparat-o HHC” si pentru care Botis si-a dat girul sa adapostesca minorii institutionalizati de Statul roman (ca si cum acele casoaie, cumparate pe bani grei, ar fi fost In regula si respectau normele de siguranta), s-a transformat Intr-o pala de foc. Copiii au fost transportati, dardaind, la Centrul de pe strada Avram Iancu.



A fost un exercitiu de imaginatie. Cu exceptia ultimei parti. Sau n-a fost?



Nu aveau autorizatie!



Pompierii militari au reusit sa controleze flacarile Inainte ca acestea sa mistuie Intreaga casa. Maiorul Liviu Moldovan, comandantul Companiei de pompieri Sighet, a declarat ca focul a fost cauzat de lipsa cosului de evacuare!



“Am constatat ca In loc de horn exista un tub din tabla de metal, cu azbest! Peretii cladirii, construiti din lemn, nu fusesera ignifugati. Mai mult, casa de pe Bilascu nu avea autorizatia PSI! s-a supraIncalzit si a cauzat aprinderea peretilor. Estimarea preliminara spune ca pagubele s-ar cifra la circa 4-600 de milioane.



Proprietarul trebuie sa stie cel mai bine ce a avut In casa, or, pana In acest moment, Directia Copilului nu ne-a trimis nici un document In acest sens”, a spus Moldovan.



In schimb, HHC (proprietara cladirii) a trimis un inginer care a evaluat pagubele, necomunicand Insa sighetenilor concluziile!



Din spusele maiorului Moldovan, nici celelalte case de tip familial din Sighet, "nu prea au autorizatii". Se pare ca nici centrala termica nu a fost montata de specialisti autorizati, pentru ca ISCIR Cluj (autoritatea de control), cerceteaza In acest moment instalatia. Un fel de “bisnita”, cu care ne-am obisnuit deja.



In plus, tabloul electric al instalatiei s-a topit Intr-un mod suspect, ceea ce da de banuit ca la originea incendiului ar putea fi si neregului de ordin electric.



Asadar, Botis a semnat pentru niste case care nu aveau autorizatiile elementare! Mai grav e ca, reprezentantii administratiei Sighet au declarat ca dupa stiinta lor, nici unul dintre imobile nu are: autorizatie de mediu, sanitara sau PSI! Singurele avize se pare ca sunt cele sanitar-veterinare, rezolvate de catre un actual angajat al DPC.



Au fost atentionati!



Foarte grav: cauza incendiului a fost semnalata DPC Inca din 15 septembrie 2003! Atunci, Gheorghe Rus, administrator DPC pentru zona Sighet, trimitea o nota de serviciu prin care sesiza grave nereguli la toate casele subordonate.



Referindu-ne doar la casa care a ars (doar n-au intrat zile-n sac, domnule Botis), Rus a specificat ca "la casa veche nu s-au facut reparatii. Se propune amenajarea In spatii administrative.



La cladirea achizitionata, principalele lucrari de reparatii necorespunzatoare sunt: balamalele la usi sunt necorespunzatoare, garajul amenajat pentru sala de linistire, usa Inchisa cu PFL, lipsa usa de acces la bucatarie, prize electrice montate In baie fara protectie, cos de fum necorespunzator (cauza incendiului, n. red.), pereti Inveliti In folie PVC - necorespunzator PSI (!), fosa septica amplasata langa cladire 3 metri fara acces de vidanjare (!), accesul In pod fixat cu cuie (nu s-au putut verifica lucrarile din pod), rampa si contratreptele la scari - necorespunzatoare pentru copii cu handicap." Constatarile au fost Intocmite de tehnicianul Mihai Oroz.



Nimeni nu stie cum e cu cele doua case de pe Bilascu, noua si veche. Sunt In aceeasi curte, cea veche se afla la strada, are doar parter si e din caramida, cea noua, din lemn si rigips, e In spate.



Botis a stiut!



In 3 februarie 2004, Rus si Floarea Moldovan (manager), expediaza o noua nota catre DPC prin care se solicita de urgenta: "angajarea unui electrician, instalator si fochist-mecanic, pentru remedierea prizelor electrice dizlocate, geamurilor sparte, conductelor si robinetilor fisurati si stricati, aparatelor electrice defecte etc.



” Cei doi mentionau ca personalul este specializat In Ingrijirea copilului cu dizabilitati si este subdimensionat fata de necesarul efectiv.



Se mai solicita “asigurarea lunar a unei sume minime de 10-15 milioane la Inceputul lunii, pentru asigurarea unor urgente In activitatea curenta, a materialelor de Intretinere ce nu au fost licitate (robineti, garnituri, geamuri, materiale sanitare, etc.).



" La acest “munte” de sesizari si constatari de nereguli grave (care s-au dovedit fatale!), directorul DPC nici macar nu s-a ostenit sa raspunda.



Saracie cu bani multi



Copiii institutionalizati mananca In aceste zile fulgi de cartofi, nu cartofi adevarati, pentru ca… nu sunt bani (!). Botis a venit In Sighet doar la doua zile dupa incendiu, iar cand un copil a decedat luna trecuta, nimeni din Baia Mare n-a venit la Inmormantare.



Acelasi Botis le-a spus angajatilor “mosiei” din Sighet: “Daca sunteti buni, trebuie sa va descurcati fara bani".



Darabus si vina colectiva



Casa care a ars a fost achizitionata, conform actelor HHC, de la un anume Muresan (desi a apartinut unui anume Florin Pop! - cercetam) cu 44.000 USD. Agentii imobiliari sigheteni ne-au declarat ca respectivul imobil nu merita suma respectiva! Casa de pe strada Bilascu este construita In Intregime din gips-carton, pe o strada nici macar asfaltata!



Mai mult, In proiect se specifica faptul ca imobilele “vor fi dotate cu elevatoare si alte echipamente de ridicare pentru copii si membrii de personal. Casele vor avea un singur nivel-parter." Ei bine, casa arsa are doua niveluri, dar poate s-au gandit ca e “bine” pentru copii sa urce scarile, mai fac muschi, chiar daca au multiple handicapuri.



Cand a trebuit sa nominalizeze persoana care a decis achizitionarea caselor, Darabus a declarat ca erau implicati “toti cei care trebuia sa luam o decizie pentru achizitionarea unui imobil: Georgette Mulheir, director national; eu, In calitate de director pentru Maramures; Delia Pop, director de dezvoltare; un inginer independent care se ocupa de structurile de rezistenta; plus echipa mea tehnica de doua persoane.



Deci, eram vreo sase oameni si Inca un reprezentant al DPC (care trebuia sa spuna daca ea corespunde)”, a spus Darabus.

Fine Gael leader lobbied for Romanian adoption

Mon, Feb 23, 2004, 00:00

The leader of Fine Gael, Mr Enda Kenny, lobbied for a Romanian adoption for an Irish couple despite a ban on foreign adoptions demanded by the EU in accession negotiations.

Mr Kenny's name appears on a list of politicians who lobbied for Romanian adoptions, despite a two-year moratorium on the practice, alongside the European Commission President, Mr Romano Prodi, and US Senator Mr John Kerry, the Democratic presidential hopeful.

"As far as I recall it was for two couples in Castlebar that I wrote a reference saying that they were people of good standing," said Mr Kenny. "I can't recall anyone saying 'Please write me a letter because with the moratorium we cannot get a child unless you do."

Evenimentul Zilei, Romania
By Cornel Nistorescu

Incredible! As from Thursday, Romania is a country with a questioned democracy! It does no longer meet the Copenhagen political criteria - which are as necessary as air for Romania to be accepted as member of the European Union.

After Thursday's vote by the foreign affairs committee of the European Parliament, everything has changed. The triumphal speech of the government led by Adrian Nastase, who announced with much fuss that negotiations for Romania's integration into EU would be completed by the end of this year, was contradicted by a shocking decision.

"The committee emphasizes the numerous failures of Romania regarding its progress towards EU integration". What does that mean? That all the promising statements by certain European officials, as well as the boasts of our government was but a smoke screen under which reservations, criticism, failures and even aberrations accumulated to shatter a trajectory which seemed the best chance for EU integration which Romania has ever had.

The readers who want to find details about the amendments, the statements in the report of the foreign affairs committee of the European Parliament can consult our pages dedicated to this crucial moment for the Romanian politics. One thing is clear. Our country will be monitored as regards reform in justice system, the way in which corruption is fought, the way in which the freedom of the press is observed, international adoptions.

All these hot issues weren't at all in a rosy situation. But in 2000 when the Adrian Nastase government came to power, they weren't in such a dramatic situation either. On the contrary, the promises made by the Romanian government were indicative of some progress and some hopes.

But that image, un-backed with substantial progress in reality, didn't last long. The European MPs realized what is there behind the nice words. On the contrary, they interpreted the failed promises as offences.

Those impressed by the lures and nice words of the Nastase government turned against Romania when they realized that reality is actually different. For the first time in these years, our country is accused, more or less openly, that it has cheated the European Union.

The incrimination refers more to international adoptions, but it could have been said also in connection with the justice, the corruption or the public administration. The scandal of the 105 Romanian children adopted by Italians following persistent demands by high officials did but top it all.

Apart from the 105, some other children have been found as being adopted too. No agreement was asked for their adoption from the rapporteur for Romania. The adoptions weren't mentioned in a government resolution either. Adrian Nastase and Serban Mihailescu simply signed for those adoptions.

Such a negligence has brought us to the point where the European MPs said: "The child trade must be stopped by all means". The policy of the office arrangement conducted Serban Mihailescu, nicknamed Miki Spaga (bribe), this jack-in-the-box of the Nastase government, and is experiencing the most terrible failure now.

Even if this failure affects Romania, it is not strong enough to change Mihailescu's position as key man in the backstage arrangements inside the government, but also in the ruling Social Democrat Party (PSD).

Didn't president Ion Iliescu and premier Adrian Nastase know about the European and international discontent about the situation of the justice system in Romania? If that wasn't to be noticed, then only an atomic bomb could have waken them up to reality from the indifference and the sleepy attitude that have had lately.

Despite evidence, despite numerous international signals, despite opinion polls, despite opinions generally shared by the people, they have deluded themselves with the promises of Rodica Stanoiu.

Ironically, before the scandal, Rodica Stanoiu tried to wash her hands of the whole thing, passing responsibility for the corruption in justice to the Superior Council of Magistrature. And that after she, like a hilarious character in a play mocking the shortcomings of society, played puppets.

All the important hierarchies in the justice system in Romania are filled with the wives, in-laws, cousins, nephews, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law of the political-financial clan represented by the ruling party. Instead of assuming responsibility for the difficult situation in the justice system and tendering a tardy resignation, justice minister Rodica Stanoiu staged a sort of operetta show.

The judicial figures of the Ceausescu regime, some who are very close tot he PSD now, magistrates of straw, naive professors, dedicated to a cause of Romania, have been pushed on the front stage to create a sort of patriotical festival Ode to Justice in Romania.

Obviously, disregarding the accusations in the press, by the citizens, and the international public opinion. And everything was one only to bury truths, which are obvious, and to fix the image of the very tarnished lady minister.
Romania will be monitored also in connection with the way in which the freedom of expression is observed.

This seems to me the most serious counter-performance of the Adrian Nastase government. Actually, behind it there is the attempt to generally manipulate information. Even this situation, which is very dramatic in point of our European integration, was presented yesterday as a success of the Nastase cabinet.

Both the public television and radio were Thursday part of a coarse scenario to misinform the population. The public radio broadcast the statement made by Liberal leader Theodor Stolojan who "hailed the decision of European rapporteur for Romania, Emma Nicholson, to request the foreign affairs committee of the European Parliament to carry on EU entry talks based on different terms instead of suspending them".

That is the public radio, on the tax payers' money, achieves the performance to shorten Stolojan's statements so that to give the impression that he also acknowledges the great success of the Nastase government. Romania is a laughing stock in Brussels, (no other EU candidate state has even gone through such embarrassing situation!) and all the official Romanian media channels, supported with the citizens' money, hide the truth.

The private ones bought directly or indirectly, openly or secretly by the ruling party, have reported the same disaster as a success achieved by the Nastase government as well.

Threatened or beaten journalists, the county press taken over almost completely by the people close to power, the public television stations trapped in the screw vice of debt, flagrant cases of misinformation on TVR public television and radio lead us to the incredible situation to be questioned in a chapter considered the main gain after Ceausescu was overthrown: freedom of expression.

The overwhelming vote in the Brussels is the final end of the conceited mocking by the premier, the arrangement made by Miki Spaga, of the public administration looked at through the blinkers of general Oprea. The vote of the Brussels committee makes Victor Ciorbea, the leader of the PNTCD party, fall into ridicule, and all those who believed that they make a patriotical gesture if they try to sweeten the situation in Romania a bit.

But it has the greatest impact on Adrian Nastase. His mask of European player, who is shoulder to shoulder with all the potentates in Europe (Emil Constantinescu lived the awkward illusion of the regional leader too), is removed with firmness and distrust. In vain they had photos with Berlusconi and Tony Blair, in vain they approved international adoptions, in vain they went on hunting trips!

The European Parliament accepts or rejects Romania based on genuine progress it has achieved. However, the Nastase government and Miki Spaga can breathe with relief. The amendment according to which the European police should investigate into the international adoption cases was not voted!

President Ion Iliescu also knew about corruption. He knew of everything that was happening in the justice. He knew about the wasted European funds. He knew about the Mafia-type clans in the counties. He knew about the delays in completing certain negotiation chapters. What did he do?

Even now, in the eleventh hour, he acts as undetermined as before. He knows everything that is going on. He beats about the bush more or less elegantly. He doesn't have any idea where to head for. He is afraid not to lose the chance to return as the president of PSD, and that is why he keeps silent and waits, facing the risk to compromise Romania's European integration.

What is it to be done? The two-three days of shock for the Nastase government will go by. And we will see how the only two working hypotheses work out. Systematically lying the Romanians about the success achieved in the negotiations with the European Union might continue only after the PSD has won the elections. Or Adrian Nastase, aware of the complete responsibility for this critical situation, might launch a large-scale cleansing campaign.

In his apparatus, in the government, in the ministries, even in the party. That is, to try to escape from the net of power structures which tried to fake preoccupation for European integration, but actually wasted all the energy on arrangements, calculations, and games, and took advantage of opportunities to get rich.

It would be the eleventh hour to get fresh chances and to save what can still be saved in the calendar of the European integration!

All we can do is wait!

17 february 2004

France admits having adopted 73 Romanian children

Drafted by Nigel Cantwell - see Romania for Export Only

UNICEF's position on Inter-country adoption