Romanian Lawmaker: Important County Officials Knew About Abuses at Bihor Care Homes

Romanian lawmaker Florin Manole revealed that his party will not rush a decision on a crucial law needed for PNRR funds until its final form is reviewed. Speaking about the ongoing investigation into illegal conditions at care homes in Bihor, Manole stated he had previously sent a report from the control body to prosecutors. He suspected criminal activity after reviewing the report during his tenure as Minister of Labor.

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I did everything I could, with all the tools I had. After evaluating the control report, I suspected criminal offenses. I sent the report to the Prosecutor's Office. That's how we got to what happened today.

Manole emphasized that the association under investigation had never obtained the necessary licenses or accreditation to provide social services. He explained that he initiated a review by the ministry's control body in Bucharest because the initial county-level report seemed incomplete and did not fully capture the situation's scope.

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We are talking about an association that, to my knowledge, never had any licensing or accreditation.

When questioned about potential political protection for the association, Manole avoided a direct answer. However, he acknowledged local press reports suggesting prominent figures in the county were aware of the conditions. He also pointed out that national television stations had previously aired reports about the facility, indicating the issues were not entirely unknown.

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I was dissatisfied with that county-level report, which did not seem to explain the whole situation at its true scale, which is why I sent the control body from Bucharest.