Mihai Busuioc, who is the Government’s secretary general, has received the approval of the Parliament’s budget committees to take over as president of the Romanian Court of Accounts.

Busuioc is a close collaborator of Social Democratic leader Liviu Dragnea, according to Profit.ro.

He said that the Court of Accounts’ auditors have gotten involved too much in the activity of local or central authorities until now. Auditors shouldn’t judge the "investment opportunity”, according to Busuioc. Only local or central authorities should do that.

Dumitru Nancu, the director of Radionav Constanta and a close acquaintance of prime minister Mihai Tudose, was also in the race for the office. Busuioc will receive the Parliament’s final vote today.

In total, 14 candidates run for different management offices within the Court of Accounts.

In the last years, the Court of Accounts has published several critical reports about the activity of state institutions. They pointed out to unjustified spending or bonuses that are too large.

The Romanian Court of Accounts filed 675 criminal complaints against individuals suspected of defrauding the state of public funds in the past decade, according to data from 2016. The cases amount to a total of EUR 2.1 billion in damages.

Former prime minister Nicolae Vacaroiu has been president of the Court of Accounts since October 2008.

editor@romania-insider.com