Virgil Ardelean
Encyclopedia
Virgil Ardelean is a Romania
n police chief, head of Direcţia Generală de Informaţii şi Protecţie Internă
(DGIPI) between 1998 and 2007.
, Sălaj County
. The village is populated by ethnic Hungarians and Roma; his mother had the Hungarian surname of Gábor, and Ardelean made efforts to conceal his background from the nationalist Communist regime
of Nicolae Ceauşescu
, within which he sought advancement. In 1974, he graduated from the police academy at Băneasa
, in the counter-sabotage class of the economic police section. By 1989, he was deputy police chief of Cluj-Napoca
, and on the day before Ceauşescu was toppled in that December's Revolution
, his superior commanded him to take measures to preserve public order. Upon hearing the chief, he started shouting and said he was unable to hear the order, whereupon he was immediately sent to the hospital. There, following a telephone call from the local head of the Securitate
secret police, Ardelean was diagnosed with "acute bilateral otitis
" and ordered to stay in bed, thus avoiding having to choose sides in the Revolution. The following month, when the new Ion Iliescu
government was in danger of being overthrown, Ardelean received a similar order, went into hysterics, was sent to the hospital, diagnosed with "temporary memory loss", and given two weeks' medical leave.
After 1989, Ardelean remained deputy chief of the Romanian Police
in Cluj-Napoca, and was later promoted to chief in Bucharest
. In 1998, he was named to run DGIPI, a unit within the Interior Ministry that is descended from UM 0215, an entity created to employ former cadres of the Securitate who were barred from joining Serviciul Român de Informaţii
. Several controversies surrounded him during his tenure there. The first had its origins earlier, when he worked in Cluj-Napoca. In 1994, when the Caritas Ponzi scheme showed signs it was about to collapse, he ordered a search of the company's offices, reportedly seizing diskettes showing what payments were made to politicians, and using this information to facilitate his rise. (Ardelean denies the notion of concealed diskettes, stating that all evidence gathered is in the police file on the case.) During the third Mineriad
of early 1999, he is said to have misinformed Interior Minister Gavril Dejeu
about the miners' actions and intentions, leading to victories of theirs. However, he was not prosecuted. In 2001, an assistant to Prime Minister
Adrian Năstase
resgined; upon doing so, he listed Ardelean's name among those he suspected of facilitating relations between businesspeople and senior government figures. In 2003, American
analyst Larry Watts delivered a report, "Control and Oversight of Security Intelligence in Romania", to the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces
, and cited DGIPI as the place where the most infractions took place among the country's secret services. Also that year, he ordered constant surveillance of telephones belonging to press agencies and to the National Anticorruption Prosecution Office
. In 2004, two brothers alleged that Ardelean fabricated their entire criminal record after they refused to pay further bribes to his agency's employees.
Reportedly, Ardelean, nicknamed Vulpea ("The Fox"), was able to last nine years in his position because he furnished both presidents
and prime ministers with compromising information about politicians, businesspeople and intelligence service employees. He resigned in July 2006, following the flight of indicted businessman Omar Hayssam
, but it was not until almost a year later that his resignation was accepted. In January 2009, Ardelean briefly returned to head DGIPI when incoming Interior Minister Gabriel Oprea
named him to head it, but a scandal ensued within Oprea's Social Democratic Party
, members of which objected to his having made the appointment without first consulting them. In response, Oprea resigned from the ministry and from the party, with Ardelean relinquishing his position as well. Between 2007 and 2010, with the exception of the week he spent heading DGIPI in 2009, he headed the Interior Ministry's General Directorate of Management Operations. He retired in mid-2010.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n police chief, head of Direcţia Generală de Informaţii şi Protecţie Internă
Directia Generala de Informatii si Protectie Interna
Direcţia Generală de Informaţii şi Protecţie Internă is the criminal intelligence agency of the Romanian Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform....
(DGIPI) between 1998 and 2007.
Biography
Ardelean was born in PericeiPericei
Pericei is a commune located in Sălaj County, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Bădăcin, Pericei, Periceiu Mic and Sici....
, Sălaj County
Salaj County
Sălaj is a county of Romania, in the historical regions of Crișana and Transylvania, with the capital city at Zalău.-Geography:Sălaj county has a total area of ....
. The village is populated by ethnic Hungarians and Roma; his mother had the Hungarian surname of Gábor, and Ardelean made efforts to conceal his background from the nationalist Communist regime
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
of Nicolae Ceauşescu
Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
, within which he sought advancement. In 1974, he graduated from the police academy at Băneasa
Baneasa
Băneasa is a borough in the north side of Bucharest, near the Băneasa Lake . Like all north-side districts of Bucharest, it is relatively sparsely populated, with large areas of parkland...
, in the counter-sabotage class of the economic police section. By 1989, he was deputy police chief of Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
, and on the day before Ceauşescu was toppled in that December's Revolution
Romanian Revolution of 1989
The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a series of riots and clashes in December 1989. These were part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several Warsaw Pact countries...
, his superior commanded him to take measures to preserve public order. Upon hearing the chief, he started shouting and said he was unable to hear the order, whereupon he was immediately sent to the hospital. There, following a telephone call from the local head of the Securitate
Securitate
The Securitate was the secret police agency of Communist Romania. Previously, the Romanian secret police was called Siguranţa Statului. Founded on August 30, 1948, with help from the Soviet NKVD, the Securitate was abolished in December 1989, shortly after President Nicolae Ceaușescu was...
secret police, Ardelean was diagnosed with "acute bilateral otitis
Otitis
Otitis is a general term for inflammation or infection of the ear, in both humans and other animals.It is subdivided into the following:*Otitis externa, external otitis, or "swimmer's ear" involves the outer ear and ear canal. In external otitis, the ear hurts when touched or pulled.*Otitis media...
" and ordered to stay in bed, thus avoiding having to choose sides in the Revolution. The following month, when the new Ion Iliescu
Ion Iliescu
Ion Iliescu served as President of Romania from 1990 until 1996, and from 2000 until 2004. From 1996 to 2000 and from 2004 until his retirement in 2008, Iliescu was a Senator for the Social Democratic Party , whose honorary president he remains....
government was in danger of being overthrown, Ardelean received a similar order, went into hysterics, was sent to the hospital, diagnosed with "temporary memory loss", and given two weeks' medical leave.
After 1989, Ardelean remained deputy chief of the Romanian Police
Romanian Police
The Romanian Police is the national police force and main civil law enforcement agency in Romania. It is subordinated to the Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform.-Duties:The Romanian Police are responsible for:...
in Cluj-Napoca, and was later promoted to chief in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. In 1998, he was named to run DGIPI, a unit within the Interior Ministry that is descended from UM 0215, an entity created to employ former cadres of the Securitate who were barred from joining Serviciul Român de Informaţii
Serviciul Român de Informatii
The Romanian Intelligence Service is the Romanian domestic intelligence service. It is considered the descendant of the former Departamentul Securităţii Statului , of the Socialist Republic of Romania. The official decree The Romanian Intelligence Service (', SRI) is the Romanian domestic...
. Several controversies surrounded him during his tenure there. The first had its origins earlier, when he worked in Cluj-Napoca. In 1994, when the Caritas Ponzi scheme showed signs it was about to collapse, he ordered a search of the company's offices, reportedly seizing diskettes showing what payments were made to politicians, and using this information to facilitate his rise. (Ardelean denies the notion of concealed diskettes, stating that all evidence gathered is in the police file on the case.) During the third Mineriad
Mineriad
See also The 1990s: the rise and decline of miners' unionsA Mineriad is the term used to name any of the successive violent interventions of miners in Bucharest. These interventions were generally seen as aimed at wrestling policy changes or simply material advantages from the current political...
of early 1999, he is said to have misinformed Interior Minister Gavril Dejeu
Gavril Dejeu
Gavril Dejeu is a Romanian politician who served as Minister of Interior in Victor Ciorbea's cabinet. He was also ad interim Prime Minister of Romania from 30 March to 17 April 1998....
about the miners' actions and intentions, leading to victories of theirs. However, he was not prosecuted. In 2001, an assistant to Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Romania
The Prime Minister of Romania is the head of the Government of Romania. Initially, the office was styled President of the Council of Ministers , when the term "Government" included more than the Cabinet, and the Cabinet was called The Council of Ministers...
Adrian Năstase
Adrian Nastase
Adrian Năstase is a Romanian politician who was the Prime Minister of Romania from December 2000 to December 2004.He competed as the Social Democratic Party candidate in the 2004 presidential election, but was defeated by centre-right Justice and Truth Alliance candidate Traian Băsescu.He was...
resgined; upon doing so, he listed Ardelean's name among those he suspected of facilitating relations between businesspeople and senior government figures. In 2003, American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
analyst Larry Watts delivered a report, "Control and Oversight of Security Intelligence in Romania", to the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces
Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces
-Mission:The Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces is one of the world’s leading institutions in the areas of security sector reform and security sector governance...
, and cited DGIPI as the place where the most infractions took place among the country's secret services. Also that year, he ordered constant surveillance of telephones belonging to press agencies and to the National Anticorruption Prosecution Office
National Anticorruption Directorate
National Anticorruption Directorate , formerly National Anticorruption Prosecution Office , is the Romanian agency tasked with preventing, investigating and prosecuting corruption-related offenses that caused a material damage higher than €200,000 or whose value of the involved amounts or goods is...
. In 2004, two brothers alleged that Ardelean fabricated their entire criminal record after they refused to pay further bribes to his agency's employees.
Reportedly, Ardelean, nicknamed Vulpea ("The Fox"), was able to last nine years in his position because he furnished both presidents
President of Romania
The President of Romania is the head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a two-round system for a five-year term . An individual may serve two terms...
and prime ministers with compromising information about politicians, businesspeople and intelligence service employees. He resigned in July 2006, following the flight of indicted businessman Omar Hayssam
Omar Hayssam
Omar Hayssam is a Syrian-born Romanian financier who was sentenced in absentia to 20 years in prison after a Romanian court found him guilty of masterminding the kidnapping of three Romanian journalists in Iraq in 2005.-Early life:...
, but it was not until almost a year later that his resignation was accepted. In January 2009, Ardelean briefly returned to head DGIPI when incoming Interior Minister Gabriel Oprea
Gabriel Oprea
Gabriel Oprea is a Romanian soldier and politician. A member of the National Union for the Progress of Romania and a former member of the Social Democratic Party , he has been a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for Ilfov County since 2004...
named him to head it, but a scandal ensued within Oprea's Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (Romania)
The Social Democratic Party is the major social-democratic political party in Romania. It was formed in 1992, after the post-communist National Salvation Front broke apart. It adopted its present name after a merger with a minor social-democratic party in 2001. Since its formation, it has always...
, members of which objected to his having made the appointment without first consulting them. In response, Oprea resigned from the ministry and from the party, with Ardelean relinquishing his position as well. Between 2007 and 2010, with the exception of the week he spent heading DGIPI in 2009, he headed the Interior Ministry's General Directorate of Management Operations. He retired in mid-2010.