Minister orders probe into one-million-lei fine on family after DIICOT probe

Romania's interim Minister of Labor, Dragoș Pîslaru, has initiated an urgent investigation into a one-million-lei (approximately $215,000 USD) fine levied against the Pașca family. The fine was imposed by the Bihor Territorial Labor Inspectorate (ITM Bihor) following controls requested by the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) as part of an intervention in Dumbrava.

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There are two elements that raise question marks regarding the way the sanction was applied.

Pîslaru stated that several aspects of the fine require clarification, particularly concerning how the sanctioned individuals were identified and the communication delays between institutions. He noted that on June 30, ITM Bihor inspectors were asked to conduct checks at the Pașca family's residences. Following these checks, a fine was issued for undeclared work, reportedly the largest of its kind for an association, according to the minister.

However, Pîslaru highlighted two key issues raising questions about the fine's application. Firstly, the official report listed 36 individuals found to be working without legal contracts, but only 14 were reportedly identified on-site. The remaining 22 were allegedly identified based on accounts from those present, without a formal identification process. This discrepancy is significant because the law stipulates a fine of 40,000 lei per person, which would have totaled 1.44 million lei. The final fine was capped at one million lei as per legal limits.

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The other 22 were not officially identified, but relied on accounts from those present, with the report being finalized without completing this identification process.

Secondly, Pîslaru expressed concern over the communication breakdown. He stated he learned about the fine not through official channels, but via social media. Information regarding the June 30 control reached the Deputy Chief State Inspector only on July 6, and the Ministry of Labor was officially notified on July 8. In response to these concerns, the Ministry of Labor has requested a specialized audit of ITM Bihor by the Inspection's Quality Control Body.

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I learned about this fine not from the authorities, as would have been appropriate in such an exceptional context, but from Facebook.