Head of Romania's DSU is indicted over the SMURD helicopter crash in Cantemir
Raed Arafat, the head of Romania's Department for Emergencies (DSU), is under investigation in a criminal case concerning the replacement of a SMURD helicopter that crashed ten years ago near Haragîș, Cantemir district.
The head of the Department for Emergencies (DSU), Raed Arafat, is suspected of being involved in a smuggling operation that allegedly resulted in damages of nearly one million euros.
After attending the hearings, Arafat said he will not resign, calling the accusations unjustified.
"I will not resign, because doing so would confirm what I believe these individuals intended. I have significant work to do, and both cases have a major impact—not just on me, but also on the people involved and those around them," Arafat said after leaving the hearings.
Prosecutors have notified Arafat that he now holds defendant status in the criminal case related to the smuggling allegations, a change from his previous status as a suspect.
"I have been informed that I am a defendant in the smuggling case," Raed Arafat remarked upon exiting the Military Prosecutor's Office, as reported by News.ro.
The investigation led by military prosecutors is focused on the replacement of a SMURD helicopter that crashed ten years ago during a mission in the Republic of Moldova, an accident that resulted in the deaths of four people on board. The helicopter, owned by the General Aviation Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, was completely destroyed in the incident.
Since April, Raed Arafat has been under criminal investigation as a suspect, along with 16 other individuals. If found guilty, Arafat, who heads Romania's Emergency Situations Department, could face up to seven years in prison.
