After a month from SpotMedia.ro’s request, the General Prosecutor’s Office (PÎCCJ) communicated its own version regarding the cost of the trip of the General Prosecutor Alex Florența to Brazil as part of a mysterious delegation, alongside the Minister of Justice, the head of PÎCCJ, and other individuals whose inclusion in the entourage was unexplained by anyone.
According to the response from PÎCCJ (full document here), the „working visit” of Mr. Florența to Brazil, between April 8-12, 2024, cost a total of 4,729 euros. „We mention that the plane tickets were purchased in Economy class, and the accommodations were made at hotels within the tariff ceiling of 141 euros/night and 220 euros/night.”
As for the hotels where the Romanian delegation stayed, the response does not specify. Diplomatic sources say that there was accommodation in a luxury club, with corresponding prices, at Palácio Tangará Sao Paulo - with the cheapest room at 500 euros/night. A contradiction that could cast doubt on the accuracy of the information provided.
But this is not the only nor the most important aspect raising questions.
In a response to Press Hub (full document here), the Ministry of Justice stated that for the two representatives of the Ministry of Justice in the delegation, namely Minister Alina Gorghiu and Deputy Secretary General Cătălin Oțelea, the total cost, including air transport, per diem, accommodation, protocol expenses, travel insurance, airport protocol services, amounted to 41,092.19 lei. That is approximately 4,100 euros per person.
Therefore, Ms. Gorghiu claims to PressHub that her visit was over 600 euros cheaper than Mr. Florența's, within the same delegation, although she made sure to include all the protocols beloved by the Romanian dignitary.
As it is quite hard to believe that the General Prosecutor would have any interest in inflating the expense report, and since the 30 days needed for a response should eliminate the risk of error, there is a suspicion that the ministry led by Ms. Gorghiu lied in an official response, which constitutes falsification.
The suspicion is heightened by insider information from the Ministry of Justice indicating that the work regarding the costs has been repeatedly sent back to Finance until someone is found to further reduce the figures. Has someone been found?
The amount itself, 600 euros, is less important, although every penny of public money must be accounted for. The lack of accuracy, transparency, and the suspicion of falsehood are extremely relevant.
The visit to Brazil was strange from the very beginning, as SpotMedia.ro reported back on April 16.
There was no official information on the Ministry of Justice's website or PÎCCJ's website until the delegation was exposed through posts on Facebook and press reports by Brazilians. The camouflage was so well executed that during the trip, Ms. Gorghiu posted photos on Facebook from Argeș County, giving the appearance of participating in political activities in the county where she is a Liberal baroness.
It was thus revealed not only that Ms. Gorghiu was together with Mr. Florența in Brazil, but also that the delegation included the head of ÎCCJ, Alina Corina Corbu, Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice Cătălin Oțel, and Georgian Pop, the head of the National Reserves Administration. What the three were doing there on public funds, at 4,100 or 4,729 euros per person, was left unexplained.
In addition to official meetings, the delegation also engaged in commercial promotion activities at the São Paulo store of the Alexandrion Group, the largest producer and distributor of spirits and wines in Romania.
On April 14, we asked the Ministry of Justice for details on the travel costs, the composition of the delegation, the purpose of each member's presence, and why the visit was kept secret for so long. The Ministry of Justice has not provided any response, even partially, to SpotMedia.ro's request to this day, which constitutes a blatant violation of Law 544.
PÎCCJ also responded regarding the total costs of the General Prosecutor's travels since the beginning of the mandate, on March 30, 2023.
Considering that the page indicated in PÎCCJ's response shows visits totaling 33 days, the average cost per day is 513 euros. The thin cheek holds the expense.
The longest foreign visits by the General Prosecutor, to Brazil on April 7-13, 2024, and the USA - Atlanta on December 11-15, 2023, were made together with Minister Alina Gorghiu, and from March 10-12, 2024, they were together in Rome.