Clotilde Armand, who was accused by ANI of conflict of interest and incompatibility, announced that she is filing a criminal complaint against the agency’s integrity inspector who allegedly denied her access to the file, and alleged that the agency was tipped off by a PNL member because she wants “No more fighting in the City Hall of Sector 1”. In this case, the prefect of the capital, former PSD senator Tony Greble, also reacted, who says that after the official notification of the National Integrity Agency, he will attack in an administrative dispute the provisions according to which Clotilde Armand was appointed project manager and those regarding the provision of some allowances.

Clotilde Armand continues to defend herself, reacting with a new message on Facebook in which she accuses the “festival of manipulation” by PSD and PNL.

Clotilde Armand: PNL member reported this to ANI because I don’t want to be beaten in District 1 City Hall

The Mayor of Sector 1 says he will file a criminal case against the ANI inspector who systematically denied him access to the file.

We reproduce Clotilde Armand’s message:

• “In the report made by the PNL against me, it is said that the mayor of sector 1 called himself the project manager and collected 3,500 euros in 5 months. That is, I (mayor) am not allowed to be the project manager, because I nominated myself and I signed the nomination documents myself. Nothing more than a fake.
• 1. This means that all mayors in Romania who sign their monthly attendance or increase their allowance are in a conflict of interest;
• 2. All provisions signed by me are checked for legality and sent to the prefect. The prefect said they were legitimate;
• 3. All executive documents must undergo a number of departmental approvals: legal, economic, personnel, etc. All these approvals and signatures are on all orders reported by ANI;
• 4. Officials of the ministry responsible for the project reported by ANI say in response that I am eligible (even if I am the mayor).
• The main objective of the project, carried out in partnership with the General Anti-Corruption Directorate, is to increase the degree of implementation of measures related to the prevention of corruption by improving, consolidating and developing the administrative capacity of Sector 1 of the Municipality of Bucharest.
• What does it mean:
• – We are carrying out an operational procedure for managing corruption risks and establishing preventive anti-corruption measures within the framework of 1 district mayor’s office.
• – We are creating and implementing the Register of Corruption Risks in the Regional State Administration.
• – 60 employees of the City Hall of Sector 1 will undergo training courses in the field of corruption prevention, transparency, ethics and integrity.
• – An information campaign on the risk of detecting corruption acts, which is promoted both among citizens and among employees of the local state administration.
• For all this I was paid 3500 euros in 5 months.
• In other words, a PNL member reported to ANI because I want to not be beaten in District 1 City Hall. And ANI is denying me access to the file even though I have requested it several times. Both PSD and PNL leadership are asking me to resign now because they can no longer quietly steal from our city hall. Perfect timing.
• Just as in the case of the Accounting Court, which, coming to us 3 times for control in a year, did not find anything illegal, although they came out to publicly inform before providing us with the report. And thus we use certain institutions as a cudgel to hit the politically inconvenient. But it’s nothing. move I am filing a criminal complaint against the ANI inspector who systematically refused to read the materials. Because no one is above the law.”

The capital prefect will attack Mayor Arman’s position in the administrative dispute following a report by ANI

The prefect of the capital, Tony Greble, a former PSD senator, announced that, after an official notice from the National Integrity Agency, he would attack in an administrative dispute the provisions according to which the mayor of Sector 1, Clotilde Armand, appointed herself the head of the project and related to the granting of allowances.

In a statement to Digi 24, Tony Greble clarified that the prefecture sought an opinion from ANI, “having doubts about the legality” of the decision-making according to which Mayor Armand named himself the project manager and appointed an increase in his mayor’s allowance.

• “The prefecture conducts periodic checks on the legality of issuing orders of branch mayors and the general mayor, as well as the legality of local council decisions.
• During the last inspection I conducted at the District 1 City Hall, I issued an opinion on the legality of some of the mayor’s regulations and left four of the regulations of the Mayor of District 1 for additional reviews.
• I filed a complaint, asking for the opinion of the National Integrity Agency, having doubts about the legality of the decision-making by which the mayor (…) called himself the head of the project and in this capacity benefited and appropriated an increase in the mayor’s allowance,” the prefect said.

He also stated that from the time the prefect informs the court, the title of project manager will be suspended and promotions will be given, suggesting that this will happen in the coming days once he receives the communication from ANI.

• “He continues to perform his functions until the final decision of the court. (…) The prefecture had serious doubts about the legality of adopting these provisions. ANI confirmed through action taken in the last few days that the Agency is also looking into the situation where the Mayor of Sector 1 was illegal. The court will decide,” he added.

PSD: The leadership of the USR has a moral obligation to call a meeting to remove Mayor Clotilde Armand

The PSD responded by asking the USR leadership to apply to Sector 1 Mayor Clotilde Armand “exactly the same standards of integrity” that it has applied to other politicians accused of criminal acts and incompatibilities.

• “The leadership of the USR has a moral obligation to urgently convene a meeting to suspend Ms. Clotilde Armand from the party until she resolves her issues fairly. Otherwise, all the speeches of the USR regarding the integrity of the USR public office turn out to be pure demagoguery.
• In the case of Ms. Armand, it is no longer just political statements or speculation in the press.
• This is an official accusation by the National Integrity Agency, which initiated legal proceedings against the mayor, of criminal activity and incompatibility,” the PSD press release said.

The Social Democrats say that from now on, “every day that Clotilde Armand remains mayor is an insult to the residents of sector 1,” and especially to those who voted for her on the basis of her anti-corruption speech.

• “The explanation given by the Mayor of Ward 1 to the allegation leveled against him in the ANI report is as irrelevant as the arguments of all the politicians who claimed innocence after being accused by various government agencies.
• At that time, the USR insisted that these politicians give up their public positions before the judges were sentenced. What did the UDR say? Take a step back, let justice do its job, trust the institutions, and if they are acquitted, they can return to politics,” said Florin Manole, president of the PSD Sector 1 organization.

The allegations that ANI makes against Clotilde Armand

The National Integrity Agency accuses Clotilde Armand, the mayor of Sector 1, of conflict of interest and incompatibility and reports to the prosecutor’s office because the mayor allegedly used the position to generate income for himself.

• “Ready! They caught me…” Reaction of Clotilde Armand after accusations of conflict of interest and incompatibility

According to the ANI press release, which mentions the conflict of interest, Clotilde Armand has signed the terms of reference appointing herself the head of the project “Improving local administrative capacity to develop, implement and promote anti-corruption measures”, financed by the European Fund and which brought himself material benefit in the amount of 18,720 lei.

The signed 5 provisions provide for the appointment to the position of project manager, as well as an increase in the monthly financial assistance to 30%.

According to the cited source, as of February 18, 2022, Armand is ineligible because he holds the position of mayor of Sector 1, Bucharest and the paid position of project manager at the same time, thus violating the provisions of the law.

“The Agency of National Integrity informed the Prosecutor’s Office at the High Court of Cassation and Justice about the presence of signs that ARMAND CLOTILDE MARIE BRIGIT committed the crime of using an official position for the benefit of certain persons, provided for in Art. 301 of the Criminal Code for the fact that during the performance of the duties of the city mayor, respectively, in the period from February to August 2022, he signed 5 provisions that led to the receipt of additional income for himself, ANI said in the message.

Also, ANI informed the Prefect of the Capital about the legality of administrative acts of state administration bodies, respectively, the provision on the appointment of the project manager and 4 provisions according to which incomes were supplemented, material acts for which aspects were preserved and signs of violation of the legal regime of incompatibility, conflict of interests in of administrative cases and legislation in criminal cases, the press release also states.