Romanian minister fired over bribery allegations

ROMANIA:Romania's farm minister was sacked yesterday after being accused of taking bribes and enduring severe criticism from the European Union over the pace of agricultural reform.

Decebal Traian Remes submitted his resignation following a request from prime minister Calin Tariceanu, who in turn faced calls to quit from allies of President Traian Basescu. Prosecutors accuse Mr Remes of taking a bribe of €15,000 and the promise of €455 in goods - including home-made sausages and plum brandy - from ex-agriculture minister Ioan Muresan, who allegedly was acting on behalf of a businessman who hoped the bribe would win him favour in a public tender.

Romanian television aired secretly-filmed footage purporting to show Mr Remes accepting bribes. All the accused deny the accusations made against them.

"The prime minister took the decision due to the recent scandal in the media centred on the farm minister, believing that he can no longer do his job efficiently," the government said in a statement.

Prosecutors also wish to investigate justice minister Tudor Chiuariu and labour minister Paul Pacuraru, but the presidential commission that authorises such proceedings against cabinet members is currently suspended pending reorganisation.

Mr Basescu says the reorganisation is intended to limit his powers and prevent prosecutions of leading politicians, and his allies called yesterday for the resignation of Mr Tariceanu, who has been locked for months in a power struggle with the president.

"To regain credibility . . . and prove to the EU that anti-corruption is not just a promise thrown into the wind, this government must leave," said Emil Boc, head of the Democrat party, close to Mr Basescu.

Mr Remes stepped down a day after the EU threatened to withhold about €110 millions in subsidies from Romania over its failure to introduce a proper system of disbursing aid to farmers.

The European Commission gave Bucharest another month to verify farmers' claims for aid and to start operating new computer software for managing subsidy payments. The EU's Agriculture Commissioner, Mariann Fischer Boel, said Romania "still has time to rectify the situation, but it is a matter of urgency and swift actions are needed".