Rutieră’s “soup” policemen. Delicious bribery transcripts that put the Romanian police to shame. “Do you want pizza, do you want crispy?”

The Iaşi Police “soups” file was opened by the Iaşi DNA prosecutors in May last year.

The telephones of some agents or officials of the Iași institution, but also some representatives of the Mamma Mia restaurant, were heard from the summer of 2019, considering the intercepted discussions as evidence of bribery consisting of portions of food.

The investigation was launched after anti-corruption investigators heard that the head of the Iaşi Highway Office, Gheorghiţă Ciobanu, “generally requests and receives various products from drivers identified as having committed violations of the provisions of the Highway Code.”

The investigation centered on an alleged tacit agreement that the officer and his subordinates from the Iaşi Road Bureau allegedly had with representatives of the Mamma Mia restaurant in Iaşi. The deal between the police and the restaurant was simple: in exchange for food, the officers closed their eyes when the restaurant’s courier drivers violated traffic rules.

Taking advantage of the protection they have from the traffic police, drivers of cars registered in “Mamma Mia” (the company’s parking lot with about 100 cars with which they make home deliveries) often violate traffic regulations (double return continuous line, crossing the red traffic light, etc.), thus endangering the safety of passersby, without being penalized for the offenses committed ”, is mentioned in an official DNA document, obtained by“ Adevărul ”.

An agent’s culinary preferences

During the investigation, DNA investigators persuaded a restaurant employee to cooperate with them and thus obtained evidence of the free portions of food that the police received from the restaurant.

Robert Nicolae Barabaş, a young agent, only 28 years old, is accused of taking bribes. Between June 22, 2019 and March 7, 2020, he allegedly received 25 servings of food from Mamma Mia, in exchange for the protection offered to the company’s drivers. It would be, in total, a discount of 2,650 lei, representing the free meal Barabaş received during the mentioned period. Among the dishes received by Barabaş are teriyaki chicken breast, beef soup, pizza, ribs, pasta or tochitura.

Agent Barabaş’s discussions with his colleagues

The collaborator of the prosecutors inside the restaurant is CAP, a young man who has left the unit in the meantime. The witness recounted how Barabas was called to ask for food, which he sometimes took to the traffic police offices. CAP was introduced by Barabaş to his colleagues with the nickname “my friend” and said that sometimes the food portions would go to other agents.

The DNA even intercepted discussions between police officers, in which they casually talked about what to order for lunch.

At other times, as happened on July 6, 2019, Barabaş also asked for food for himself and his colleagues when they were on a mission. Later, four police officers on a mission allegedly received two pizzas, which were delivered to them by a courier.

That same day, prosecutors intercepted two conversations between Barabbas and his colleagues in which he asked them what they wanted to eat. Here’s one, between Barabaş and Carmen Ignăţel:

IGNATEL CARMEN: Yes, ROBERT!

BARABAŞ NICOLAE ROBERT: What do you want to eat?

IGNATEL CARMEN: But what do you eat?

BARABAŞ NICOLAE ROBERT: Salad, something? Or what?

IGNĂŢEL CARMEN: Yes, a salad, yes.

BARABAŞ NICOLAE ROBERT: Do you still love CÉSAR?

IGNATEL CARMEN: No, what else do they have?

BARABAŞ NICOLAE ROBERT: Come in MAMMA MIA and look there.

IGNATEL CARMEN: Come on, it’s okay. And I am calling you.

These conversations, accompanied by 100% discount vouchers, beaten at home for food to reach the police, are considered by investigators as evidence of bribery. The DNA also exemplifies some situations in which restaurant drivers were caught violating traffic rules, but were not penalized.

The charges against the head of the Highways Office

Prosecutors presented the case to the world on August 27, when they made a proposal for pretrial detention. Four people appeared in court that day, including Officer Robert Barabaş. The manager of Mamma Mia, Andrei Hîncu, and the person in charge of the deliveries, Marian Ciobanu, were also arrested. Another police officer from the Registry Service, who allegedly received money, not just food, was also arrested. In the end, the court decided that everyone should be investigated in general. On the same day, two other traffic police officers, Viorel Zaborilă and Viorel Lohan, were brought under judicial control on the same day because they allegedly received food bribes.

The other day, the head of the Highways Office, Gheorghiţă Ciobanu, was also summoned to DNA, who was also brought under judicial control, along with two other subordinates, Gabriel Ciochină and Gabriel Dămoc. Between February 11, 2019 and July 24, 2020, the three defendants, based on a tacit agreement that existed at the level of the Iasi Traffic Police and the management of a restaurant, allegedly claimed and received through intermediaries, with the consent of the restaurant manager, catering food in a total value of more than 2,300 lei ”, accuses DNA.

As for Ciobanu, according to the documents obtained by “Adevărul”, the main evidence of the prosecution is a telephone interception in which he asks for food from Mamma Mia, but not through the dispatcher, but directly from the manager Andrei Hîncu. Here is the intercept:

HINCU Andrei Cosmin: – Hello!

CIOBANU Gheorghiţă: – Hello! What are you doing sir …?

HINCU Andrei Cosmin: – Good, good! I head to the cabin. What are you doing?

CIOBANU Gheorghiţă: – I understand! But what should I do? And I got home early and …!

HINCU Andrei Cosmin: – Ah, I understand!

CIOBANU Gheorghiţă: – But can I also place an order or call from …? I want three pizzas on an empty stomach and a fruit pizza.

HINCU Andrei Cosmin: – Yes. Yes, but send me a message, please!

CIOBANU Gheorghiţă: – Yes? With the address, yes?

HÎNCU Andrei Cosmin: – To deliver the message. Yes, yes, yes and with the address, yes.

CIOBANU Gheorghiţă: – I understand! Yes, well, well!

HINCU Andrei Cosmin: – Yes? Okay! And it works, right?

CIOBANU Gheorghiţă: – Thank you! Thank you! Goodbye!

Gheorghiţă Ciobanu (PHOTO ABOVE Source: Dezvăluirea.ro) challenged the judicial review in court and declared that he was not guilty. “I asked, but I paid. I don’t understand where the bribe is, because I don’t go out, I didn’t favor anyone,” he said.

In the interceptions, the restaurant representatives call the police “happy boys.” At the end of last year, Andrei Hincu allegedly learned that SIPI, the secret service of the Interior Ministry, had learned about the agents’ habits and decided to take precautions. Since then, no food drivers have been dispatched to the police station. Until then, however, the restaurant had a written record with the names of all the agents asking for free food. That record is in possession of DNA.

This week, two other policemen, Bogdan Toderaşcu and Liviu Andrei, were summoned to DNA to be charged with similar acts. Both are from the Iaşi County Highway Service.