Godină on Bihor elder care scandal: 'People were cared for well, but things were not legal'

Police officer and influencer Marian Godină has weighed in on the scandal surrounding elder care homes in Bihor, Romania. He drew a parallel to a case from several years ago where he advised a young man to report a surgeon who demanded money for an operation. Godină noted that the surgeon, despite being highly skilled and sought after, was caught and arrested for bribery.

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The doctor was very good professionally. He operated well and was highly sought after. I received many curses and insults from citizens at the time, with some even saying, 'You operate on the poor people now, damn you.' So the doctor was very good, he did his job, but he committed offenses, which was not right.

Godină stated that the Bihor elder care homes appear to have numerous irregularities, many of which were exposed by the press, sparking the investigation. Public information suggests a lack of permits and licenses, with operations sometimes conducted by individuals rather than registered entities.

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In the case of the Bihor nursing home, it seems there are a lot of irregularities, most of which have been revealed by the press, and the investigation started there. Public information indicates that there were no permits, no licenses. Things were sometimes done by individuals.

He addressed the common argument that residents were well-cared for, asserting that good care does not excuse illegal operations. Godină urged those interested to read judicial prosecutors' reports, which he claims present concrete facts, not opinions, that are "not in order at all."

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Many said the people were well cared for. That may be, we can start from that premise, but things there were not operating legally. If you are curious to search for fragments from the judicial prosecutors' referral, you will read many interesting things. These are not opinions, not nuances, they are facts presented concretely and which are not in order at all.

Criticizing the notion that authorities' prior knowledge of the situation justifies inaction, Godină rhetorically asked if this is a reason for "nobody to do anything, ever?" He also commented on the online reactions to journalist Carla Tănasie's posts, observing people who seemed outraged for the elderly but simultaneously used offensive language towards others, which he sarcastically labeled as "true empathy."

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The argument I read most often is that the authorities knew for a long time. And is that a reason for nobody to do anything, ever?