JusMin Predoiu: Human trafficking and organised crime have reached intolerable levels

The Minister of Justice, Catalin Predoiu, on Friday said that human trafficking and organised crime have reached an intolerable level in our country, and the former PSD (Social Democratic Party) government is responsible for this situation, for "destroying the legislation that strengthened justice" and sending a clear signal to the underworld that they could shake their heads."

"We are at a time when things have to be named and acted upon. Trafficking in human beings and organised crime have reached an intolerable level in our country and we are here to put an end to this phenomenon. As the US Department of State report noted, last year, human trafficking intensified, and its forms diversified, which is due to a certain impunity that the organised crime sensed and speculated. In other words, this situation has a culprit - it is the former PSD government. If things have reached this intolerable point, it is because those who led at that time the Ministry of Interior, Carmen Dan, the Chamber of Deputies head, Liviu Dragnea, the Ministry of Justice - Florin Iordache, did not take measures in due time, pretended not to see this phenomenon, destroyed the legislation that strengthened justice, paralyzed the investigative capacity of the prosecutor's offices, discouraged the action of the policemen. In other words, they sent a clear signal to the underworld that they can do whatever they please, and it doesn't matter if they knew what they were doing or not," said Predoiu.

The statement was made at the end of a meeting at the MAI (Ministry of Interior) headquarters, which was also attended by the Minister of Interior, Marcel Vela, the Ambassador of the United States of America in Bucharest, Adrian Zuckerman, and Prosecutor General Gabriela Scutea.

The meeting comes after the publication of the latest report of the United States Department of State on trafficking in persons, in which Romania is again criticized for the lack of measures to combat this phenomenon.

Catalin Predoiu mentioned that Romania must take measures to make forget this "ugly" phenomenon which is human trafficking, emphasizing that the security of the citizen was weakened during the PSD government.

The Minister of Justice also said that there is a need for transnational cooperation in this field, and brought to mind the partnership that Romania has in this regard with the US.