Ovidiu Grecea chooses to step down

Ovidiu Grecea yesterday announced he would resign from his position as head of the Government’s Control and Anti-corruption Department (DCAG), which position he also held while Radu Vasile Cabinet was in power, arguing that there are some people in Adrian Nastase’s team that simply do not want him there.

Before Grecea made this statement, the Interior Ministry announced the dismissal of colonel Ioan Ouatu, head of the Neamt Service of Information and Interior Protection.

According to the ministry, this decision was made following verifications run by the Control Group within the Interior Ministry, upon SRI information. Ouatu had been accused by Grecea of ordering his being watched during the control visit he has recently performed in Neamt county. However, Grecea decided to leave the government team.

“I stand here, before you, to announce my decision to step down from my position as state secretary, head of DCAG. It is my wish to no longer obtrude myself on the further activity of the Government and of Nastase team,” Grecea said. He regards this decision as an “honourable gesture.”

Grecea specified that, prior to the announcement, he had informed the Prime Minister, therefore he did not see fit to attend the Government meeting.

“The formalities are quick to complete,” he said, referring to the manner in which his decision would materialise by the registration of his resignation with the Government General Secretariat.

Ovidiu Grecea’s appearance interrupted the statement of the Government Secretary General, aerban Mihailescu.

Grecea said he did not want to expect the second card from the PM, with whom he was hoping to maintain the same special ties, but “the team means several people, and when there’s someone who does not want you around, there’s absolutely no point in staying in the field and do nothing.”

On Tuesday, at Victoria Palace, DCAG head Ovidiu Grecea had an “extremely rough discussion” with Prime Minister Adrian Nastase regarding the events occurred in the Republic of Moldova, according to governmental sources.

Nastase said he was not happy with the way Ovidiu Grecea behaved when he missed to inform the Prime Minister on the conclusions of the report regarding the privatisation of certain companies and that he was followed when he went in Neamt county.

Thus, Grecea was shown the “yellow card” and was warned that he would get the “red card” upon his next mistake.

The report points out information regarding the persons and the licence plates of the cars having followed Ovidiu Grecea while he was performing the control action in Neamt.

Grecea directly accuses colonel Ouatu in the report. Ouatu is the Chief of 0962 Unit from Neamt county and was dismissed yesterday.