Two officers-inspectors of the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (ISU), namely Antonina Radu and George Petrica Matei, will stand trial in the case related to the Colectiv club fire that killed 64 people.

The National Anticorruption Department (DNA) announced on Friday that it sent the two ISU employees to court, on charges of abuse of office and usurpation of function.

A total of 248 people has signed to be civil parts in this trial, asking for damages of over EUR 212 million and more than RON 51.24 million.

DNA prosecutors say that, between September 2014 and October 30, 2015 (the day when the tragic incident occurred), Antonia Radu and George Petrica Matei failed to meet their jobs’ requirements on fire prevention and safety, although they knew that the Colectiv club in Bucharest was operating without the required safety permits.

“It’s worth mentioning that, although they made several visits to Colectiv club, defendants Antonina Radu and Matei George Petrica didn’t draft any document of control, on none of the occasions, nor have they taken any measure for this company to be included in the Bucharest Emergency Situations Inspectorate’s evidence because it was operating without fire safety permits, as required by the normative acts regulating activity in the field,” reads the DNA statement.

The inspectors’ actions caused a damage of RON 12,152 (EUR 2,700) to ISU, the money representing the costs of the intervention carried out on the night of October 30, 2015, when the fire broke out at the club.

Moreover, the fact that the two ISU inspectors decided to look the other way when it came to the club’s safety problems brought Colectiv club an undue advantage of RON 62,298 (some EUR 13,800), the money representing the profit the company had made until the date of the tragedy, according to DNA.

The prosecutors also seized two buildings that belong to the two defendants. The case was sent to the Bucharest Military Court.

One year ago, on October 30, 2015, Romania was shaken by a tragic incident at Colectiv club in Bucharest. A total of 64 people died following the fire that broke out inside the club that night, and much more were injured.

Looking back at 2015: Colectiv, the Romanian tragedy that has changed laws and people

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com