Presidential adviser speaks of threats
on Romania


In an interview published by ‘Ziua’ daily yesterday, President Basescu’s adviser on security matters, Iulian Fota, stated that the espionage on the countries outside NATO and the EU influenced the country’s political, economic and military life. ‘From the point of view of non-Western entities, we are an attractive target in two different departments: the access to information and our position in NATO/ EU which can be influenced by illegal, unorthodox means, including or especially at a political level,’ the adviser explained. In his opinion, another risk factor for Romania is the new flu pandemic. ‘In respect of the swine flu, the alarm is very serious, but what we feared – the massive pandemic – has not yet occurred. But people in the West claim it will still arrive’. According to the counsellor, the third most imminent risk is a war, including a cyber-war, during the holidays period. ‘After the hot subject regarding Georgia, no serious country in Central Europe is neglecting the aspect. (…) If you have an opponent, you must never forget that he will always try to take you by surprise, to hit you when he thinks you are the least vigilant. I believe the Georgian lesson has been correctly learnt even in the West,’ Fota warns.


Becali will learn in one week if he can leave the country


The magistrates of Bucharest Tribunal postponed until Thursday, June 18, the judging of the recourse filed by the lawyers of Steaua financier, Gigi Becali, at his request to cancel the prohibition to leave the country, Agerpres reports. The reason of the postponing was the fact that Becali’s lawyer, Catalin Dancu, is not in Bucharest. Becali was represented in the courtroom by an assistant of Dancu, who requested to postpone the trial. Moreover, the lawyers could not invoke that Becali must go to Brussels, because he received only yesterday afternoon the mandate of MEP from the Central Electoral Bureau.


Ioana Maria Vlas moved to Tirgsor Prison


Ex-SOV Invest Manager Ioana Maria Vlas has been moved from the Criminal Investigations Directorate to the Tirgsor Prison, in Prahova, where she will serve the rest of her sentence made definitive by the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) in the National Investment Fund (FNI) bankruptcy case, Agerpres informs. On June 4, ICCJ re-confirmed her ten year-sentence in the FNI case. Vlas has served five years so far.


Nati Meir, self-declared “new Obama
of Romania”


Nati Meir, independent candidate for the Presidency of Romania inaugurated yesterday a tent for collecting signatures in the University Square, declaring: “I think I will be a new Obama in Romania. If a black person was able to win the campaign in America, the same may be achieved by a Jew in Romania,” Mediafax reported. Nati Meir had also a gift in store for those who offered him their signatures: toothbrushes and toothpaste. He showed that the persons supporting him would be offered a toothbrush with a gadget that helps the toothpaste be placed directly on the brush. “The idea is that we want to change the political class and politicians, to clean their mouths. We should get rid of Becali’s and Vadim’s style, we should get rid of Vanghelie and all of those who use a nasty language and curses!” the self-proclaimed new Obama of Romania declared. He told journalists that he was about to build six tents in Bucharest, in order to collect signatures and to build tents in other important Romanian cities as well. Nati Meir declared that he has already collected 37,500 signatures from people living in Romania, Israel and Italy.