25 November 2015

PRESS RELEASE

The Public Information and Media Relations Office within the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice is authorized to bring to public knowledge the following:

In order to continue the investigations in the case dealing with the fire which broke out in the “Colectiv” Club, activities of criminal investigation were carried out in the period 24 – 25 November 2015, as follows:

- prosecution decided to alter the judicial qualification of the defendants MINCU COSTIN, ANASTASESCU GEORGE - ALIN and GANCEA PAUL - CĂTĂLIN from involuntary bodily injury to manslaughter as a result of the deaths which occurred after the date of November the 2^nd 2015;

- against Niţă daniela, prosecution decided to extend the criminal investigation for manslaughter and involuntary bodily injury, in relation to all the victims;

- against zaharia viorel, prosecution decided to extend the criminal investigation for manslaughter in relation to the victims who died after the date of November the 2^nd 2015;

- prosecution decided to start the criminal investigation against s.c. club colectiv S.r.L. and S.C. golden ideas fireworks artists S.R.L., for having committed the crimes of manslaughter and involuntary bodily injury resulting in multiple casualties;

- the objectives of the forensic findings ordered in the case were made public;

- provisional measures were taken in relation to the assets belonging to the defendants and the companies aforementioned.

We will keep the public opinion informed as the investigations progress.

We mention that the initiation of the criminal investigation and the setting in motion of the criminal action are stages of the criminal trial regulated by the Code of Criminal Procedure, meant to create the procedural framework necessary to gather the evidence, activities which cannot, under any circumstances, breach the principle of the presumption of innocence.