Romania: Ex-disability chief claims firing over DIICOT probe confidentiality

Alexandra Zară, the former president of Romania's National Authority for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (ANPDPD), alleges her dismissal stemmed from her adherence to legal confidentiality regarding a DIICOT investigation. Zară stated that Labor Minister Dragoș Pîslaru informed her of her mandate's revocation while she was traveling, citing her failure to provide him with advance notice of the June 30 operation.

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In the road to Caraș-Severin, I received a call from Minister Pîslaru, who informed me that he would revoke my mandate today. I asked myself what the reason for my mandate's revocation was. He answered me: the reason is the lack of prior information before the DIICOT action on June 30.

Zară explained to the minister that both DIICOT and the Romanian Police had explicitly instructed her to maintain confidentiality concerning the operation. She argued that informing the minister beforehand would have constituted a criminal offense under the Penal Code. Despite this, she noted that Minister Pîslaru continued to inquire about the matter in the following days, to which she responded both verbally and in writing.

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I understand he felt uncomfortable when he found out on the morning of the action, but I told him that it was a request from DIICOT Central Structure and IGPR, and I was explicitly told to keep confidential the information I was made aware of.

Minister Pîslaru announced Zară's dismissal on Wednesday, linking it to the handling of the DIICOT intervention and illegal centers in Bihor County. He also called for sanctions against the leadership of Bihor County's General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection and the County Agency for Payments and Social Inspection. The minister proposed Ana Rădulescu to lead the ANPDPD.

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If I had informed him, I would have committed a crime, an offense provided for by the Penal Code.