Romania’s ex-health minister, Vlad Voiculescu, is facing charges of abuse of office related to the procurement of COVID vaccines.

Vlad Voiculescu, who served as Romania’s Minister of Health from December 2020 to April 2021, has been formally accused of abuse of office and complicity in abuse of office. The charges are linked to the investigation into the excessive procurement of COVID-19 vaccine doses during the pandemic.

Last month, Anticorruption (DNA) prosecutors initiated an inquiry into COVID vaccine acquisitions, alleging that former Prime Minister Florin Cîțu, along with former Health Ministers Vlad Voiculescu and Ioana Mihăilă, procured an excessive number of COVID-19 vaccine doses between January and May 2021. The accusations suggest that this action resulted in financial harm to the state budget.

FOLLOW US :

Instagram :- instagram/allnationalnews

YouTube :- youtube/@allnationalnews

Facebook :- All National News

Prosecutors have asserted that Vlad Voiculescu, serving as the Minister of Health, engaged in actions that contravened legal provisions on March 10 and 18, 2021. According to their allegations, Voiculescu, without proper documentation or analyses confirming the necessity of the purchase, executed transactions and authorised payments for an additional 14.4 million doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

The charges claim that these actions were taken despite the knowledge that 10.7 million individuals were eligible for vaccination. Furthermore, it is contended that the vaccine doses contracted before January 1, 2021, which amounted to 37,588,366 doses, were already sufficient to inoculate a population exceeding 23 million people.

This purportedly unnecessary procurement has raised questions about the decision-making process within the Ministry of Health during Voiculescu’s tenure. The allegation of exceeding the required vaccine doses for a population of 10.7 million, combined with the assertion that the previous contracts were ample for a larger population, forms the crux of the legal case against the former Minister of Health. The absence of supporting documents or analyses attesting to the imperative nature of the additional vaccine purchases further intensifies the scrutiny on the decision-making process in this matter.

As legal proceedings unfold, the case will likely delve into the motivations and justifications behind Voiculescu’s alleged actions, shedding light on whether there were compelling reasons for the procurement of the additional vaccine doses. The outcome of this case may have significant implications not only for Voiculescu’s personal and professional standing but also for the broader discourse surrounding the management of public health resources and decision-making within government institutions.

Furthermore, it has been alleged that Vlad Voiculescu was involved in the drafting of a memorandum, subsequently approved by former Prime Minister Florin Cîțu on April 19, 2021. This memorandum, if implemented, would have facilitated the trade and purchase of an additional 4,260,269 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. According to prosecutors, a secretary of state, acting on behalf of the Minister of Health, endorsed the document during a government meeting at that time.

The approval of such a memorandum underscores the complexity and scale of the vaccine procurement process during Voiculescu’s tenure as the Minister of Health. The involvement of high-ranking officials, including the former Prime Minister, suggests a systemic approach to decision-making within the government regarding vaccine acquisition.

FOLLOW US :

Instagram :- instagram/allnationalnews

YouTube :- youtube/@allnationalnews

Facebook :- All National News

The prosecutors contend that the support from a secretary of state, acting on behalf of the Minister of Health, adds a layer of official endorsement to the memorandum. This raises questions about the level of scrutiny and due diligence exercised in approving such a significant procurement proposal. The specific details of how and why these additional doses were deemed necessary may become central points of inquiry during legal proceedings.

As this case unfolds, the memorandum’s approval and the associated decisions made during the government meeting will likely be subject to thorough investigation. The outcome of this investigation may shed light on the processes and decision-making dynamics within the government concerning vaccine procurement, potentially influencing perceptions of accountability and responsibility within the higher echelons of the Romanian health administration.