Romanian Justice Minister Radu Marinescu doubled down on denials he’d plagiarized his doctoral thesis, threatening to sue a journalist whose investigation alleged he lifted 140 pages from other sources without citing the source.
The minister, who is from the Social Democratic Party (PSD), said he was considering suing to “defend his right to image and reputation” following the accusations that he plagiarized his doctoral thesis almost 20 years ago.
He said he would not resign over the investigation made by journalist Emilia Șercan who in recent years has published a series of articles on high-level politicians who plagiarized their dissertations. She posted evidence (see below) that she’d been subjected to “a virulent online smear campaign, orchestrated by the PSD” since the investigation was published Monday.
But the minister pushed back saying: “an accusation…. is never synonymous with certainty of the commission of that act. An accusation in legal matters is validated only through a final ruling of a court,” he told Romania TV.
While his Social Democratic Party voiced support, the prime minister and other coalition parties were more nuanced in their positions.
Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan declined to say whether the minister should resign, but said plagiarism was ”a form of theft” and the minister’s thesis should be assessed following the report by “an independent entity.”
Raluca Turcan, a lawmaker from the National Liberal Party which is in the government, said it was “vital” that no justice minister was vulnerable to blackmail.
She mentioned the case of former Defense Minister Ionut Moșteanu, who resigned over allegations he lied on his CV. “The decision was a clear one: he said he did not want the ministry to be involved or affected, and he took a step back,” she said recalling how the PSD had demanded his resignation.
“The minister of justice tried to shift the discussion from plagiarism to politics, claiming that the scandal was artificially triggered to block the procedure for selecting the heads of the prosecution offices that he initiated,” she said.
Ms Șercan said she “became the target of a virulent online smear campaign, orchestrated by the PSD” immediately after her investigation was published.
“The fact that the 140 pages of Radu Marinescu’s thesis are plagiarized is true today, and on Thursday, and in two weeks, and at noon, and at 5 AM. Plagiarism is not more serious or less serious just because Marinescu is trying to play the victim card. Radu Marinescu is not a victim in this story,” she added.
The investigative journalist has made her name_ often defying threats_ by uncovering a high-level ring of fraudulent PhDs. She has written a book about her investigations.
Romanian education minister resigns following plagiarism reports
