The scandal of the Turkish businessman left on leave even though he is convicted of murder: the Minister of Justice complains about the excessive number of prisoners in penitentiaries
Radu Marinescu. Inquam Photos / Codrin Unici
The Minister of Justice explained that there is a “big problem” in the penitentiary system in Romania – the too high number of inmates, compared to the number of guards of the National Penitentiary Administration (ANP).
In order to avoid situations like that of the Turkish citizen who will not return to the penitentiary at the end of a three-day leave, Radu Marinescu said on Wednesday that he is trying to include in the national budget for 2026 money to buy 6,000 electronic bracelets. They will be used in particular for prisoners who are on leave or who are going to work.
“What we propose to do is to take things further in the area of safety, namely to purchase electronic bracelets to be used not only for these people who go on leave, but also for those who go to work”, said Marinescu.
He pointed out that Romania is facing a shortage of security guards to take care of the inmates, who are in high demand.
“We have a big problem – we have 25,000 prisoners in Romania. People want to work, it is part of the person's reintegration. To work outside the perimeter, they must be accompanied by security agents. Where do so many agents in the ANP come from, where we have a deficit of approximately 5,000 people?”, explained the minister.
He says that he would like the purchase of the bracelets to be included in the state budget, it would be about an expenditure of approximately 100 million lei.
“The costs for the 6 thousand bracelets, plus the related software system, would be somewhere around 100 million lei. If we have those bracelets, then we can maximize the ANP's income. If half of the prisoners go to work, there will be income for the state budget, and for the ANP and for the person, who, working, has a different representation in society.”
The purchase comes after a prisoner escaped from Rahova
Atas Abdullah was put under national prosecution after he escaped from Rahova Penitentiary. He was granted leave from 23-26 January 2026, but did not return to prison. The man was searched at home, in the town of Voluntari, without being found.
Atas Abdullah met all conditions to be approved to leave Rahova Penitentiary for four days, prison officials told HotNews.
The general director of the National Penitentiary Administration (ANP), Bogdan Burcu, said that he was the one who approved the three-day permit in the case of the Turk sentenced to almost 23 years in prison for killing a policeman and who did not return to Rahova Penitentiary on Monday, according to news.ro.
The Turkish citizen, sentenced to 22 years and ten months in prison, after killing a traffic policeman in 2015, received 24 permits and 72 rewards in recent years, having a “very good conduct”, according to prison representatives.
“To a large percentage, we take into account that he left Romania for Turkey. And I'll tell you why: because today, during the checks, more precisely during the discussions with his ex-wife, ex-partner, we were told that she was contacted by a citizen who informed her that he was gone to Turkey. It doesn't mean that it's 100%, but we take into account a fairly large percentage,” said Bogdan Despescu, secretary of state in the MAI on the 26 January.
On Monday evening, Atas Abdullah was put under international arrest. At the request of the Criminal Investigation Service, the Bucharest Court issued a European Arrest Warrant.
