“You transferred 34 hectares to real estate developers when you were the Minister of Sport” “How Antonescu answered

• George Simion quickly left the debate, giving her a bouquet of flowers Elena Lasconi, claiming that she should have participated in the 2nd round of last year's presidential elections.

• “Of all the candidates who are this evening, Mrs. Lasconi is the only one who was even voted by the Romanians and even had to go to the final confrontation with Călin Georgescu,” he said to Digi24.

• Victor Ponta did not honor the invitation, although the organizers say that in the first phase he would have accepted.

In a tense exchange, Nicușor Dan accuses Crin Antonescu that, as Minister of Youth and Sport in 1999, he illegally transferred 34 hectares of public heritage to BTT, who later sold it to real estate developers. Antonescu denies the accusations, claiming that he actually acted, according to the legislation of the time, and threatens with legal actions for slander. The discussion reaches topics such as the economic blockage of Bucharest, real estate sharks and the alleged criminal implications of the decisions taken in the past.

Crin Antonescu rejects the accusations related to the attribution of land, explaining that they were passed into the public property of the state, according to the law. Nicușor Dan, however, emphasizes that the lands in Herastrau Park and other locations arrived in the hands of real estate developers, including “Puiu” Popoviciu, Dumitru Dragomir, former president of LPF, and Arpad Paszkany, the former owner of CFR Cluj, accused of involving dubious real estate.

The dispute reaches the subject of alienating several sports bases, Antonescu being accused of favoring the interests of influential people, while Nicușor Dan suggests that these transactions would have been illegal, with criminal implications confirmed by the courts.

• The first tour of the presidential elections in Romania will take place on Sunday, May 4.

• 11 candidates will participate in this year's poll, the first two will enter the second round, scheduled for May 11: George Simion (Aur), Crin Antonescu (PSD-PNL-UDMR), Elena Lasconi (USR), Cristian Terheș (PNCR), Lavinia Șandru (PUN), Victor Ponta (independent), Sebastian Popescu (PNR), Silviu Predoiu (plan), John Banu-Muscel (independent), Daniel Funeriu (independent) and Nicușor Dan (independent).

The full dialogue between Crin Antonescu and Nicușor Dan:

Crin Antonescu: Move the deficit, and I mourn it. Everyone is mourning the budget deficit, but you thought that maybe your friend Marcel Ciolacu, that he is more friends with you than with me, would have had a slightly smaller deficit, if the Bucharest GDP could increase? If he had not been blocked by an inert and isolated mayor, who blocked Bucharest including economically for four years?

Nicușor Dan: Mr. Antonescu, I really did not expect to take over the rhetoric of real estate sharks. Although I think we will reach your past in the 1990s and we can find some explanations there.

Crin Antonescu: Sharks in the 1990s? I was shark chicks in the 1990s?

Nicușor Dan: The head of the sharks.

Crin Antonescu: The head of the sharks?! Aoleu … Do you know anything about a sport?

Nicușor Dan: Yes, on the sports bases of Romania. Just like that, Mr. Antonescu. I know there was a minister of youth and sport who gave some sports bases to some people like Puiu Popoviciu, Mr. Arpad Paszkany, Mr. Dumitru Dragomir …

Crin Antonescu: You are in a big error, sir.

Nicușor Dan: I think we'll get to debate that.

Crin Antonescu: You have pronounced some names and, if you are not in an official state of irresponsibility, I want to discuss now. He was a Minister of Sport who had nothing to do with the mentioned people. Puiu Popoviciu? Dumitru Dragomir? Former Minister of Sport who gave a law of life rent? An Olympic champion is here, in my support, and you, as a qualified process, must tell us exactly what land and to whom I gave. The ones you tried with are not good. You were wrong.

Nicușor Dan: Let's see. We have here the signature of Mr. Antonescu, we have here the signature of Mr. Antonescu. I let them research them.

Crin Antonescu: I admit it, it's my signature, right?

Nicușor Dan: In summary: in 1999, we had a Minister of Youth and Sport. As a minister, Mr. Antonescu attested the ownership right for 7 hectares in Herastrau Park for BTT, 7 hectares of the Youth Beach, 9 hectares from Pantelimon sports base, 9 hectares from Străulești Sports Base and 2 hectares from Băneasa sports base. Subsequently, these lands passed from the public domain of the state in the property of the BTT, which was a society subordinated to the Ministry of Youth and Sport. As a criminal bracket: your subordinate, who was leading the BTT, received 6 years in prison, and you have been accused of abuse in the service. But, bad luck, as a friend of yours would say, the prescription intervened. Subsequently, the Office for Tourism and Youth (BTT), subordinated to the Ministry of Sports … distinguish between 34 hectares given by you from the state's heritage. We have several sale-purchase contracts with several companies. By illegal acts you signed, some land belonging to the state's public domain, 34 hectares, were given to real estate developers. Including two courts said the same thing.

Crin Antonescu: If I give you a court now, I think you will give the money to Bucharest again to the lawyers, as you have done before. If you are sanctioned, that you will be sanctioned for such slanders, you will pay from the capital's budget, from the money of Bucharest. I, as a minister, in accordance with the laws in force since then, have only passed the public property of the state what manages this company, BTT. It is a very clear thing, I discussed it I do not know how many times in these 20 years and it is perfectly legally covered. Because I, unlike Mr. Dan, who refuses to sign when the law forces him to sign … seven hospitals, Mr. Dan! If you have access to the prosecutor's documents … I have never been informed that a prosecutor is investigating my activity. I was never called to the Prosecutor's Office. The contracts you brought here, if there is any sale-purchase contract that has my signature, please bring it. Or I sue you for the year in which those contracts ended.

VIDEO. The full debate between the 3 candidates here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b-jh4s0

Context: Controversies related to sports bases in the capital “transferred” to private entities

In 1999, Crin Antonescu, then Minister of Youth and Sport, was involved in the transfer of two valuable states of the state in Bucharest to private entities, which has generated controversies and accusations of illegality.

In December 1999, Crin Antonescu signed a certificate of attestation of property rights for the Tourism Office for Youth (BTT) over a land of approximately 7 hectares located on Lake Herastrau. Later, BTT sold this land to Domino 94 Impex SRL, controlled by the wife of businessman Bartolomeu Finiș, for the amount of $ 100,000. This transaction was challenged in court, and in 2005 the Court of Appeal permanently canceled the property certificate issued by Antonescu, considering it illegally.

Also in 1999, by the Government Decision no. 377, initiated by Crin Antonescu, the land of about 7 hectares of the Youth Beach was transferred from the public domain to the private domain of the state.

Subsequently, part of this land was concessioned to the company Trogranit, owned by Arpad Paszkany, And the rest to the Youth Company, controlled by Alexandru Bittner and Adrian Petrache.

Finally, these lands came under the control of the businessman Puiu Popoviciu, who obtained the approval for the construction of a real estate complex on this site. Various voices criticized the transactions at that timedue to the lack of transparency and because they allowed the transfer of valuable state assets to private entities under conditions considered disadvantageous for the state.

More details from the famous case of the 7 hectares of Herastrau Park – here.