PM Ciolos denies responsibility for eviction of TV stations

Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos confirmed his presence on Wednesday in the Senate, where he was summoned to explain the eviction of Antena 3 private TV and other stations of its group by tax authorities. 

Ciolos asserted he has nothing to explain, as neither he, nor the finance minister were consulted by the National Tax Administration Agency (ANAF) on this case. 

Private TV stations Antena 1 and Antena 3 got a five-day eviction notice on Monday from the Bucharest Public Finances Regional General Directorate of the ANAF. Tax authorities are thus attempting to enforce a court sentence of 2013, confirmed on an appeal in 2014, against Dan Voiculescu, a former senator and owner of the two TV stations, convicted to a 10-year prison term in a case of fraudulent privatization of a research institute. The sentence included the confiscation of Voiculescu's real estate to cover his share of prejudices of 60 million euros. 

"Let's not ask the independent government to solve within months problems procrastinated for years, including the matter of Antena 3. (...) There is a court sentence there, and ANAF suddenly decided to enforce it at the last minute, without asking anybody. I haven't been asked, neither has the finance minister; not that we should have been formally informed - the president of the ANAF decides how they apply the law; they should have enforced it some time ago. (...) So I have no explanations to provide for decisions of a manager of an agency subordinate to the government, but who does not have to ask for government's permission on some decisions," Ciolos told journalists on Tuesday. 

Asked why he does go to the Senate in these circumstances, he answered, "Because the Senate Speaker has invited me. "I have asked to be informed by the ANAF on the context of this decision. (...) I can understand it's difficult to move within five days; on the other hand, it was not my decision and it was not I who stipulated this five-day term in the law." 

All the political groups in the Senate supported on Tuesday the proposal of Speaker Calin Popescu-Tariceanu to summon the prime minister, and the plenary vote was 70-to-3 with two abstentions. AGERPRES