Raed Arafat denounces a defamation campaign against him, based on the file concerning fictitious work at DSU

“I categorically deny the existence of such a situation”, the Head of the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU), Raed Arafat, reacted on Wednesday, referring to the alleged fictitious employments within the institution he leads and which are being investigated in the file instrumented by the Military Prosecutor's Office.

Last Friday, the military prosecutors raided the DSU headquarters, in a file that allegedly concerned the fictitious work of some doctors.

In a message published on his Facebook page, Arafat denounced a smear campaign against him, stressing that DSU respects the legal framework.

“The information circulated in the public space regarding my person and my alleged involvement in an illegal activity are either false or seriously taken out of context, being presented in a manner likely to mislead public opinion. Unfortunately, it is not the first time that such statements are launched and maintained in the public space by the same people who, over time, have carried out a constant negative image campaign against me in bad faith. Within this campaign, they false information, tendentious interpretations and defamatory statements have been repeatedly promoted,” the head of the DSU wrote in his message.

“Such an approach, carried out repeatedly and systematically, does not aim at correctly informing public opinion or defending the general interest. On the contrary, it seems oriented towards supporting personal or group interests, at the expense of the truth and an honest public debate”, Arafat also states.

Other clarifications from the head of the DSU:

• “With regard to the accusations regarding possible fictitious employment within the DSU, I categorically deny the existence of such a situation and, at the same time, reaffirm the firm commitment of the institution to the strict observance of legality, transparency and the proper conduct of specific activities, in full agreement with its legal attributions.
• I have also consistently expressed my willingness to cooperate with the judicial authorities and will continue to do so, for the full clarification of all matters under review.“

Military Prosecutor's Office investigation

Late last week, military prosecutors seized documents and phones from the Department of Emergency Situations. The institution specified that it is an investigation in rem, that is, it concerns facts, and not persons.

G4Media wrote, citing judicial sources, that the file, opened by the Military Prosecutor's Office of the Court of Appeal, would concern increases received by military doctors, public procurement and certain employment in the institution.

According to information obtained by Observer News, two hospitals in Bucharest are targeted in the investigation: Floreasca hospital and Gerota hospital. There, according to the prosecutors, are two doctors from the Floreasca hospital and one from Gerota who would also have worked at the DSU. The suspicion of the prosecutors is that the doctors would not have presented themselves at the DSU.

According to some sources, the investigators would have picked up the phone of the head of the DSU, Raed Arafat.

DSU reaction

The DSU stated that the investigators requested relevant documents to clarify the investigated situation, which are to be transmitted as soon as possible, and they picked up mobile phones belonging to some employees of the institution. “Until this moment, no person has the status of a suspect or defendant in the case,” the DSU said.

“In the context of carrying out some procedural activities in a case in the criminal prosecution phase in rem, the competent bodies ordered the communication of relevant documents to clarify the investigated situation, which are to be transmitted as soon as possible, and they picked up mobile phones belonging to some employees of the Department for Emergency Situations. We emphasize the fact that, up to this moment, no person has the status of a suspect or defendant in the case, as no procedural measure has been ordered in this regard or brought to the knowledge of any person such a quality”, transmitted, on Friday evening, DSU.

The institution expressed its willingness to cooperate with the judicial bodies, in order to clarify all the aspects under analysis, meaning that all the information and documents necessary to establish the factual situation will be made available.