The Foundation For The Defense Of Citizens Against State Abuses (FACIAS) raised concerns to the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) as early as 2022 regarding procurement contracts for COVID-19 vaccines. They even sued the Ministry of Health for keeping these contracts secret. DNA has now confirmed FACIAS' actions and initiated criminal proceedings against those involved in the procurement.
FACIAS was among the first organizations in Romania to question how COVID-19 vaccine procurements were conducted, flagging potential irregularities and misuse of public funds to the attention of DNA. Specifically, government representatives contracted a significantly larger number of vaccine doses, despite the number of eligible individuals for vaccination communicated by the Romanian state to the European Commission being 10.7 million. Despite already having purchased 37 million doses by January 1, 2021, enough to vaccinate over 23 million Romanians, state representatives made a highly unusual and controversial decision: they increased the procurement by an additional 52 million doses, totaling over 1 billion euros. This is the alleged damage attributed by DNA to the decision-makers at that time, former Prime Minister Florin Cîțu, and former Health Ministers Vlad Voiculescu and Ioana Mihăilă. Since May, FACIAS had requested the Ministry of Health to renegotiate contracts and disclose the individuals responsible for evaluating and signing off on the purchase of this enormous number of doses.
ANOTHER SCANDAL
The 1 billion euro scandal isn't the only one FACIAS has highlighted during the pandemic. A criminal complaint was also filed with DNA regarding potential corruption offenses related to the purchase, in May 2020, by the State Participation in Energy Administration Company (SAPE), of approximately 100,000,000 medical face masks from Vietnam, for the sum of 148,314,000 lei (approx. 30 million USD), of which only 5% were sold. In total, this "deal" cost Romania 148,314,000 lei.
REPORTS TO THE MILITARY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE
Additionally, FACIAS informed the Military Prosecutor's Office near the Bucharest Military Tribunal about the coordination of informing and communicating activities regarding relevant data about adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccines to medical personnel and the general public. The way the patient information procedure regarding vaccine adverse effects was designed violated patients' rights to medical information, as per Article 4 and following of Law no. 46/2003 on patient rights, as well as Article 5 of the Council of Europe's Oviedo Convention, given that vaccination is indisputably a medical intervention per Article 1 lit. d of the law.
FACIAS reaffirms its commitment to fight for citizens' rights and promote transparency and justice in all actions undertaken by the state.
FACIAS PRESS OFFICE