Romanian prosecutors are investigating a case of massive theft from public creches which allegedly occurred over a four-year period in the town of Ploiesti.
They suspect the former head of the city’s creches of masterminding a scheme in which food and cleaning products were regularly stolen from creches across the city.
Bribes
Staff and parents who wanted to enroll their children at a state creche paid bribes to creche directors, they said.
They searched the homes of the former director of creches, Angelica Fodor, and other employees she was in charge of. They found about 28,000 euros and 19,000 lei, the vast majority at the creche director’s home. She denies wrongdoing, Agerpres reported.
“Over a number of years, the suspect created a mechanism in which everyone involved knew they were involved in illicit activities. Food was taken from creches, especially from children aged 11 months to 3 years who couldn’t say whether the food they got was good.”
Kinder egg
“They couldn’t tell their parents if they had eaten meat, fish or a Kinder egg or other more expensive products,” a statement said.
Five women were held in custody for 24 hours, including the director. Twenty-six people were questioned.
Prosecutors wanted a 30-day arrest warrant for Ms Fodor. The Ploiesti Appeal Court ordered her release.
Police said they found 34 packets of coffee, 18 liters of cooking oil, dozens of jars of preserves and fruit compotes, 36 bags of sugar, 15 packets of rice, 20 liters of UHT milk, 88 rolls of paper towels at her home. They also found large quantities of washing up liquid, window cleaner, toilet disinfectant and soap.
Candies
They found large quantities of chocolates and candies. They also found agendas with money calculations scribbled on them.
They found 13,150 lei and almost 22,000 euros at the suspect’s home. Her lawyer said the money was her children’s and the goods were either expired or had been bought by the suspect for a monastery. The lawyer said the allegations came from a disgruntled employee who was irritated that Ms Fodor, 65, hadn’t retired from her job.
She resigned after the investigation began.
Prosecutors say she is suspected of taking bribes as her monthly spending exceeded her income. They said she spent cash on expensive items such as a pair of 600-euro designer trainers and cosmetics worth almost 500 euros one month.
Money
One of the suspects repeatedly offered sums of money and goods to other staff so that no measures would be taken against them.
They took money unofficially from parents to enroll their children. The director ordered staff to collect sums of money for special occasions during the year, the statement said.
Police said that theft was widespread a number of creches in the city. Damages are estimated at 200,000 lei.
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