Fifty-four students were heard in the case concerning the suspicions of fraud at the Baccalaureate exam that took place at the “Dimitrite Bolintineanu” High School, while the former principal remains under arrest.
Interior Minister Radu Stroe met Premier Victor Ponta at the Victoria Palace yesterday in order to present the report on the actions taken by police officers in the case concerning the suspicions of fraud at the Baccalaureate exam that took place at the “Dimitrie Bolintineanu” High School in Bucharest.
The report concerning the judicial police officers’ activity in the prosecutors’ investigation into the fraud suspicions was given by Radu Stroe to the Premier on Tuesday.
Minister Radu Stroe stated yesterday when entering the headquarters of the Interior Ministry that he sent the report and, like the Premier also said, a change of legislation and of police procedures would be needed.
Interior Ministry sources stated for Mediafax that the report concerning the events that took place at the “Bolintineanu” High School was not on the order of the day of yesterday’s government meeting, but will be presented if Premier Victor Ponta wants.
According to the aforementioned sources, the protocols and procedures that will be applied in similar situations will be modified only after a prior discussion between police representatives and the representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office, in order for them to reach an agreement in this regard. The Premier stated on Tuesday evening that the police officers’ action was coordinated by prosecutors but turned into procedural chaos that degenerated into an abuse, the government being set to identify police procedures that would guarantee legality, adding that it would be excellent if an investigation could take place legally and “more intelligently.”
54 students heard in “Bolintineanu” case
The prosecutors had heard until 54 of the 59 students that had to give statements in the fraud case, Bucharest Court Prosecutor’s Office’s spokesperson Corina Paraschivescu stated on Wednesday. She stated that at first 46 students should have been heard on Monday, 39 of them showing up at the hearings. On Tuesday 11 students should have been heard but 12 showed up, one being from among those that should have been heard on Monday.
Three other students scheduled for hearings yesterday showed up at the Bucharest Police headquarters and gave statements before the prosecutors. Corina Paraschivescu stated that five more students should have been heard, pointing out that if the prosecutor handling the case considers that their statements are needed he will subpoena them and if they continue to refuse to show up warrants will be issued on their names.
Former “Bolintineanu” High School principal remains under arrest
Costica Varzaru, the former principal of Bucharest’s “Dimitrie Bolintineanu” High School, accused of intercession, remains under arrest, the Bucharest Court of Appeals decided on Tuesday, rejecting her appeal against the preventive arrest decision. The Court of Appeals decision is final. The prosecutor present at the court meeting pointed out that the former principal should remain under arrest throughout the investigation because of the social danger she represents. After he listened to Costica Varzaru’s statement he pointed out that at this moment the classification of offence seems to be gentle compared to the facts outlined by the investigation.
FNAP: Potential Baccalaureate frauds in past years too but authorities did not act
The Federation of Parents’ Associations (FNAP) claims that potential Baccalaureate frauds were signaled in past years too but the authorities did not act to stop the phenomenon and punish the guilty parties, pointing out that teenagers fall victim to the adults’ “arrangements.” Mihaela Guna, President of the National Federation of Parents’ Associations – Pre-tertiary System (FNAP-IP), stated that all cases of fraud at the Baccalaureate should be analyzed and the students, teachers and parents should understand that those proven guilty have to pay for any unlawful act.
Fraud at a high school in Timis
The Gataia High School in Timis County has come under the authorities’ scrutiny after approximately 50 students allegedly paid RON 200 apiece to the teachers that were part of the Baccalaureate commission at the examination centre in Deta, in order to pass the Baccalaureate exam. The money was allegedly collected under the pretext of paying for a festive event occasioned by the high school graduation. Gabriela Neda, the principal of the high school in Gataia, Timis County, stated that she does not understand why she was called for hearings and that she had nothing to do with the high school graduates’ exam in Gataia. The high school principal added that she does not know of any money collected from the students and offered as bribe to the teachers that were part of the examination commission or that were tasked with supervising the examination rooms. Neda added that five students from the high school are being heard by prosecutors, however she underlined that they are top grade students.
Cornel Petroman, the head of the Timis County School Inspectorate, stated that in his opinion a fraud at the Baccalaureate exam that took place at the high school in Gataia is ruled out because there was no examination centre there and the graduates of the Gataia high school took part in the Baccalaureate exam at the centre in Deta.
