Romanian media platform RISE Project targeted by tax check just before new investigation

A recent unannounced tax check at the Romanian office of Rise Project, the media platform that has been publishing investigations, including on Romanian politicians and businessmen, has called into question the political interference over the media. The check by the Romanian tax authority ANAF at the RISE Project headquarters yesterday happened after the publication announced it would soon publish an investigation involving ruling party leader Liviu Dragnea. RISE Project published the investigation on the same day, revealing how the Social Democratic Party (PSD) managed to change the law and hand over control over a state security & surveillance agency to a single ministry, led by Dragnea’s former counselor. The article, titled “Their Secret Service,” offers documents showing how PSD managed to change a draft law in the Parliament, removing cross control over the General Direction of Internal Protection (DGPI), and granting the Internal Affairs Minister Carmen Dan control over who runs the agency. The stake is, according to RISE Project, a classified document, which it also presented in the article, and which discloses a local white crime network in the county of Teleorman, which involved Dragnea and a construction company, Tel Drum. Tel Drum has received many infrastructure contracts in Teleorman when Dragnea was head of the County Council, and the current PSD leader has always denied any connection to the company. However, the alleged DGIPI report shown by Rise Project says that Dragnea controls Tel Drum via bearer shares. After the ANAF checks at RISE Project, Dragnea, who is also the speaker for the Lower House of the Romanian Parliament, has denied any involvement and asked for an investigation into why ANAF decided to check the media company at this time, reports local Stirileprotv.ro. editor@romania-insider.com