Top 10 investigations published by G4Media and ignored by the rest of the press. Support the independent press

G4Media had dozens of investigations and exclusive news about political power in 2022, most of them ignored by the rest of the media, while PNL and PSD pay tens of millions of lei to the mainstream media every month to buy silence. From the exposure of national security laws to the targeting of Prime Minister Ciucă’s file to a magistrate close to the PNL, from the PSD’s press expenses scandal to George Simion’s criminal entourage, G4Media’s investigations have inconvenienced and irritated political power and the institutions of force.

Sometimes the response from these institutions has been harsh, as in the case of the revelations at the National Defence College, where an employee resorted to threats against the G4Media editor-in-chief’s family. President Iohannis himself was disturbed by the publication of the first drafts of the ten national security laws and made veiled threats to G4Media sources.

We thank our G4Media readers for all their support during this difficult year and we look forward to having them with us in 2023.

Here is the list of G4Media’s ten biggest news stories and investigations this year,

1. National Security Laws. G4Media published in June the draft laws elaborated, according to Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, by the institutions concerned – intelligence services, and ministries. Essentially, the proposals grant significantly increased powers to the intelligence services, grant immunity to SRI and SIE officers, make it almost impossible to dismiss the heads of the two services, and compel citizens to cooperate with the secret services at their request. Shortly after G4Media’s publication, the drafts were halted in their official tracks.

2. The BMW – Interior Ministry affair. The Romanian police signed a framework agreement for the purchase of a minimum of 300 BMWs, a maximum 600 from Automobile Bavaria, a company run by Michael Schmidt, a friend of President Klaus Iohannis. The specifications were restrictive, with practically only BMWs meeting the technical specifications.

3. The PSD’s channeling of public money to the press. Two companies that, since 2020, have received contracts for „press and propaganda services” from the PSD central organization have multiple links to Buzau – the stronghold of the party’s president Marcel Ciolacu – and to Sorina Stan-Docuz, a close associate of the Social Democrat leader.

4. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă’s case was directed by the „cover ” method to Judge Marius Iosif, who retired immediately after canceling the plagiarism complaints. A leak by an official of the Bucharest Court of Appeal is a strong indication that the file in which Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă requested the annulment of plagiarism in his doctoral thesis has been „directed” to a specific panel, headed by Judge Marius Iosif, as explained to G4Media.ro by sources in the judiciary.

5. A professor at the Romanian Army University, wave of anti-Zelensky conspiracy posts on Facebook. A colleague of the professor wanted to intimidate G4Media.ro. A teacher at the „Carol I National University of Defence” posted a wave of anti-Zelensky comments and numerous conspiracy theories on Facebook, generating hundreds of likes and shares. Carol I University is an educational institution subordinated to the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) where future officers of the Romanian Army are trained. In one post, Alba Iulia university lecturer Catrinel Popescu blames the war on Ukrainian President Volodomir Zelenski and launches a conspiracy theory: „Why did (Zelenski n.r.) release the prisoners with military experience and arm them? Where are they and what are they doing? Where are those weapons? In some EU states that are to be destabilized by the Russians, somehow?” Alexandru Cristian, a colleague of the professor from „Carol I” University called the wife of the editor-in-chief of G4Media.ro with intimidating messages, trying to stop the publication of the material.

6. Laura Codruța Kovesi revealed in an interview for G4Media that President Iohannis asked her in the summer of 2018 to resign as head of DNA. Kovesi: „I refused. My role is not to help presidents through delicate moments when they have to explain their own decisions”

7. The criminal entourage of George Simion, leader of the extremist party AUR. George Simion’s father-in-law, wedding chef, and one of his godfathers have been criminally convicted of aggravated theft, assault, driving without a license and fleeing the scene of an accident. Simion’s father, was convicted of assault.

8. The TV station controlled by Maricel Păcuraru has launched a media campaign with tens of millions at stake: the purchase of the 10 percent stake in Romprest held by the National Company of Bucharest Airports. After the G4Media revelations, Realitatea Plus launched a media lynching campaign against Dan Tăpălagă.

9. Marcel Ciolacu went to Dubai for the National Day mini-holiday, together with Deputy Prime Minister Grindeanu and two other PES members. The PSD leader was absent from the official reception on 1 December at the Cotroceni Palace.

10. Suspicions about the doctorate of Defence Minister Angel Tîlvăr. He is not listed as having entered the Vrancea Archives, although he has references in his thesis to documents of the institution. Vrancea Museum employee: „I did the research, it was a job assignment from the director of the institution”.

Coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine was another important topic throughout the year. The main article on the day of the invasion has 710,000 views.

On 8 September, the G4Media website was targeted by a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) cyber attack. The attack lasted for three days. The G4Media editorial staff has filed a criminal complaint with the DIICOT for offenses under Articles 362 and 363 of the Criminal Code. Thus, access to computer data on the G4Media website was unlawfully restricted and, at the same time, the functioning of a computer system was seriously disrupted without right by the submission of a very large number of access requests which also led to the restriction of access to computer data. The police officers of the Directorate for Combating Organised Crime – S.C.C.I. of the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police have been informed on Thursday ex officio that, between 7 and 8 September 2022, the G4Media website was the target of a „Distributed Denial of Service” computer attack.