Final decision: Teodor Țigan, former head of Romsilva, obliged by the court to return the retirement bonus of almost 300,000 lei

The former director of the Arad Forestry Directorate definitively lost the process in which he challenged the decision to fire him, so he is obliged to return the almost 300,000 lei representing the retirement bonus, informs News.ro. The Timişoara Court of Appeal rejected his appeal against the decision of December 12, 2025 of the Arad Tribunal, which obliged him to return the said amount.

“Rejects the appeal declared by the appellant-plaintiff-defendant-counterclaim Șigan Teodor against the Civil Sentence no. 1155/12.12.2025 pronounced by the Arad Court in file no. 1202/108/2025, in contradiction with (…) the National Directorate of Forests-Romsilva. Rejects the appellant's request to compel the respondent to pay court costs carried out in the appeal. Take note of the fact that the respondent has reserved the right to request court costs separately,” is the summary of the decision taken on Thursday by the Court of Appeal of Timişoara, published on the court portal.

On December 12, 2025, the Arad Court found “the nullity of the additional documents to the employment contract no. 7047/14.06.2024 and no. 3494/13.03.2023, concluded between the plaintiff and the National Forestry Authority Romsilva SA” and forced Teodor Șigan to return to RNP the amount of 280,520 lei representing the retirement bonus.

The sentence was challenged by Teodor Ţigan at the Timişoara Court of Appeal, which rejected his appeal.

“The former director of the Arad Forestry Directorate has definitively lost the lawsuit regarding the retirement bonus. He will be forced to pay back approximately 300,000 lei. Congratulations to Romsilva's lawyers!”, wrote, on Thursday, on his Facebook page the interim Minister of Waters, Forests and Environment, Diana Buzoianu.

Retirement bonus of 100,000 euros gross, then re-employed in Romsilva

Last year, the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) was notified by the Prosecutor's Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice in relation to the situation of the former general director of Romsilva Teodor Ţigan, who was retired in 2023, he received a retirement bonus of 100,000 euros gross, after which he was rehired at Romsilva as director of the Arad Forestry Directorate, cumulating the pension with the salary, reported “Clean Romania”.

According to the cited site, Ţigan could only collect the retirement premium upon the conclusion of the individual employment contract.

Moreover, after receiving the retirement bonus, he could only be rehired through competition or selection, which, according to the website of the National Forestry Authority, did not happen, the quoted source said.

Previously, Ţigan sued the directorate, after he was fired, in March 2025, from the Arad Forestry Directorate before the conclusion of the employment contract, valid until June 2025.

The file contesting the March 13, 2025 dismissal was registered at the Arad Court on April 2, 2025.