10 August protest case: Major Cazan - I was informed that I am a suspect

The Chief of the Bucharest Gendarmerie, Major Laurentiu Cazan, on Friday, upon his exit from the Prosecutor General's Office, said he has become a suspect in the case file regarding the intervention of the gendarmes during the August 10 protests, according to Agerpres. 

He is investigated for abuse of office, aiding in misconduct, aiding in intellectual fraud and aiding in forgery.

"I was informed that I am a suspect in relation to the crimes you already know about (...) I take all responsibility for my actions, for they were according to law," he claimed.

Laurentiu Cazan coordinated the gendarmes during the August 10 protests, after which he became the head of the General Directorate of the Gendarmerie of the Bucharest Municipality, for a period of six months, as Lt.Col. Alin Mastan ended his term in office.

Summoned to the Prosecutor's Office, in relation to the same case, were also Colonel Ionut Catalin Sindile, the head of the Romanian Gendarmerie, who is charged with aiding in abuse of office and in misconduct, and Col. Gherghe Sebastian Cucios, first deputy of the Romanian Gendarmerie, investigated for abuse of office and aiding in misconduct.

Summoned was also police chief commissioner Mihai Dan Chirica, secretary of state for the relation with the MAI (Ministry of Internal Affairs) prefects, who is investigated for aiding in abuse of office and aiding in misconduct.

The military prosecutors decided to open a criminal investigation into the manner in which the gendarmes intervened during the 10 August protests. On 3 September, the Prosecutor General announced 770 complaints were submitted to the Military Prosecutors' Office Sections by persons who suffered because of the manner in which the gendarmes intervened during the protests.