IntMin Vela about events of 10 August: Those who orchestrated this mess must pay

Interior Minister Marcel Vela said on Wednesday evening that those who orchestrated the mess which occurred during the events of 10 August 2018 must pay because they sought for "the Gendarmerie to be discredited and react emotionally." 

"Some gendarmes, when using tear gas, didn't put their mask on, thus, the commanders didn't give them masks in their equipment. But when entering [tear] gas, if you don't have a mask, you inhale the gas and that gives you a strong emotional state, the adrenaline kicks in and you're not rational, because you too inhale tear gas. Thus, the ones who orchestrated this sought to discredit the Gendarmerie and an emotional reaction (...) from a man, who, after all, the gendarme, who was also in a physical crisis situation. And then people reacted badly, violently and a thing occurred that placed in a bad situation not only the Gendarmerie, but even Romania, at foreign level. And then, those who orchestrated this mess must pay," Vela said at Prima TV private television station. 

He voiced his opinion that the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), having this evidence now, "will close the circle" and when the indictment will be sent to court, it will be public and probably appear in the press. 

The Interior Minister also said that "gendarmes must observe procedures and not the orders of some politicians," adding that he wishes for the legislation to be amended so that gendarmes be able to wear their badge indicative in sight, so they can be identified. 

"We will amend the legislation, for a gendarme to be personalised, a number in sight, so that he takes responsibility if he hits an elder, a person with a disability, a child or fires gas without observing the regulation, so he knows he is liable to punishment and be recognized in people's videos, in statements," Marcel Vela said.