US complains about corrupt Romanian officials

Romanian authorities reportedly demanded bribes from US firms, the US ambassador to Romania, Mark Gitenstein, said in an interview with the daily Adevărul on Monday. The newspaper sees this as a highly dangerous trend: "If a competitive company is edged out of the market by corrupt practices the entire system suffers, and ultimately also the people, who have to pay even more for goods or services just because an official has lined his pockets with bribes. This is precisely why the payment of bribes is punishable under US and British laws, even if it happens abroad. ... But what happens in Romania? Generally the bureaucrats at local and central authorities, who certainly don't have exorbitant salaries, own villas and limousines. ... At the same time it costs ten times more to build each kilometre of motorway here in Romania than anywhere else in Europe. The public services have gone to the dogs and the state is drowning in debt."  

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