Romanian government opens own probe into corruption charge

Romania's education ministry said Friday it had opened its own inquiry into charges that a government minister had misused European Union funds to benefit her family.

In September the European Commission said it had launched a corruption inquiry after it emerged that money had been paid to the family of the Minister for European Integration Hildegard Puwak for bogus business projects.

"Following information published by the media about this affair the ministry has decided to establish a committee of inquiry," a ministry spokesman said.

The committee's members will include representatives of the EU's Leonardo da Vinci centre (a programme aimed at candidates for membership) which financed projects submitted by Puwak's husband and son.

Its findings will be published no later than October 27, according to the ministry.

Romanian media recently revealed that two companies run by Puwak's husband and son had obtained 150,000 euros (160,000 dollars) in EU funding to operate business training schemes after she was appointed to her job in December 2000.

According to the reports, several German companies cited as partners in the various business plans were owned by friends of the Puwak family and were listed with bogus telephone numbers attached.

Romanian anti-corruption prosecutors have opened an investigation into the claims, while the country's two main opposition parties have demanded the minister's resignation.