Controversial appointment. The Minister of Economy explains why he appointed Adriana Miron as chief of staff, despite the criminal conviction

The appointment of Adriana Miron as head of the cabinet of the Minister of Economy, Irineu Darău, arouses controversy, considering her final conviction in 2015. The minister defends her, however, and states that she is rehabilitated and has a “clean record” since 2020.

Adriana Miron was appointed chief of staff at the Ministry of Economy. PHOTO: FB/ Adriana Miron

Irineu Darău's mandate at the Ministry of Economy begins with an appointment that attracted public attention after bizbrasov revealed that Adriana Miron, appointed by him as chief of staff, was definitively sentenced in 2015 to two years in prison with suspension for abuse of office and intellectual forgery.

In his opinion, however, this conviction was unjustified and, in addition, Adriana Miron was rehabilitated in 2020, so she can continue her career in the administration.

The facts for which she was sent to court

Adriana Miron, the new chief of staff of the Minister of Economy Irineu Darău, was definitively sentenced in December 2015 by the Bucharest Court of Appeal to 2 years of suspended prison, in the criminal file 23034/299/2013, for abuse of office and continued intellectual forgery.

The criminal case started after several controls related to a project financed with European funds, in which public institutions were involved. As deputy director at the Management Authority for the Administrative Capacity Development Operational Program, Adriana Miron approved a verification report that imposed significant penalties, a decision that subsequently attracted a series of investigations against her.

“I coordinated the Financial Management department, the control and anti-fraud department. In this capacity, I approved a verification report on a five million euro project, through which penalties of one million euros were established. It was a financing contract, where the MAI was the beneficiary, and penalties were established on a purchase contract concluded between the Ministry of Administration and the Interior and the famous, at the time, TeamNet (his company
Sebastian Ghitaa suspended criminal, fled to Serbia – n. ed.). I was called to the cabinet of the minister at that time (September 2010) and questioned as to why I am allowed to approve penalties on a contract of the MAI itself. I explained that the non-compliance with the legal provisions in the matter of public procurement was obvious, and the verification was done by a control team of which I personally was not a part, but I approved the report because I also verified the procurement file in the specific procedure for the reimbursement of expenses. (…). I was asked to reconsider the report, I refused and asked to be checked by the specialized department of the Ministry of Finance and by ANAP. The Ministry of Finance maintained the penalty, and ANAP (then ANRMAP) applied a fine of 40,000 lei”explained Adriana Miron, in a point of view requested by BizBrașov.

Later, a denunciation concerned an activity from 2010, when Adriana Miron was deputy general director of the General Directorate of Human Resources in the Ministry of Administration and Interior (MAI). According to the accusation, during this period an “arranged” employment competition was organized and two time sheets were signed for a person employed for a period of approximately one and a half months, until his transfer to the Bucharest Prefecture.

This signature was framed as intellectual forgery in continued form, and non-conformities related to the contest were characterized as abuse of office.

“First, a case was filed on a project and I was sent to the DNA. It ended after the hearing with NUP (non-criminal prosecution – n. ed.). Then, seeing that it did not turn out that way, they found a whistleblower to write that in April 2010, when I was deputy general director of the Human Resources Directorate of the MAI and coordinated the entire HR part of the public administration, I had arranged a competition and that I had signed the time sheets for a month and a half of the employed person until his transfer to Bucharest Prefecture.

This was the “abuse in the service”, and the fact that I countersigned two time sheets was “”intellectual falsehood in a continuous form”. The quantified damage was one and a half of the man's salary, i.e. 1470 lei”. detailed Adrian Miron.

Trial and conviction

The trial took place over several years, involving four trial panels, of which the last one, the one that pronounced the conviction in the first instance, would have had only one trial term and would not have heard witnesses or administered evidence directly.

Adrian Miron declares that, at first instance, she was sentenced to one year of suspended imprisonment, but that, on appeal, her sentence was increased to two years with suspension without the presentation of additional evidence.

The reaction of Minister Irineu Darău

After the appearance of the information regarding the final conviction of his former chief of staff, the Minister of Economy, Irineu Darău, categorized the subject as “a predictable political attack”, emphasizing that Adriana Miron has a clean record since 2020 and is being rehabilitated.

“The old case from 2011-2015 did not concern corruption, bribery or undue benefits, but an administrative damage of 1,647 RON, already closed for good. Adriana Miron is a civil servant with confirmed and relevant professional experience: over 25 years, of which 11 years in the central administration, 10 years in projects with European funds and management positions exercised with professionalism”. said Irineu Darău, according to HotNews.

The minister also said that the resumption of the subject represents “a predictable political attack laced with fake news and unleashed after his appointment”
and emphasized Adriana Miron's courage to do her duty during the period in which she sanctioned Ghiță's company: “She was bullied for years for having the courage to do her duty.”

Adriana Miron's career

Adriana Miron has extensive experience in administration and the private sector. The positions held include:

* City manager Brașov (2021-2024)

* Director of the Metropolitan Agency for Sustainable Development Brașov (from 2025)

* Project manager in the private sector (2011-2021)

* Deputy Director – AMPODCA (2010-2011)

* Deputy General Director – MAI Human Resources General Directorate (2009-2010)

* Deputy General Director of the National Archives of Romania (2007-2009)

* Director – Giurgiu National Archives (2004-2007)

* Archivist – Maramureș National Archives (2000-2004).

She specializes in public sector management, public procurement, project management, training of trainers and investment management.

Studiesand

* Degree – 2000, Police Academy, Faculty of Archives

* Master's degree in sociology-anthropology – 2002, Babeș-Bolyai University

* Master in public sector management – ​​2004, SNSPA.