Deputy PM and Minister of Internal Affairs Gabriel Oprea said on Monday that media speculation according to which he allegedly used the traffic police squad as an escort without legal ground ”is completely unfounded” and that the details of the October 20 accident have been referred to the Prosecution Office.
”A tragedy occurred in the evening of October 20. Police officer Gigina died in the line of duty. (…) I chose not to come out with public statements immediately after the accident or before the burial out of respect for the family. Police made the details public in a release that also explained that a criminal investigation has been initiated. (…) I chose to be at the side of Bogdan Gigina’s family, to personally extend condolences to the grieving relatives, instead of yielding to the temptation to come out with explanations to wipe myself clean of irresponsible accusations launched by heedless political leaders or of cynical speculation. (…) I chose to make sure that Bogdan Gigina’s family learn how much I regret that all of us at the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI) regret losing him. (…) I chose to handle as a priority the fact that the MAI, the structures reporting to it, promptly set at the disposal of the Prosecution Office all the requested information. The accident happened in the evening of October 20, while I was traveling in the line of duty,” Oprea said at the MAI headquarters. More…