The Government's Control Department released yesterday the outcome of checks on the juridical assistance contracts of the RAAPPS (Self-governing Department for Administration of the State Heritage and Protocol) in 2000-2006. According to the report, all the contracts were in keeping with the law, but they were signed on grounds of procedures disobeying free competition principles and the transparent use of public funds, with no means to show the way of deciding on payment. Given this, Cristian David, a delegate minister for control, mentioned demanding the RAAPPS to recuperate the money paid to lawyers, Elena Udrea included. Minister David's announcement can but confirm the existence of certain illegalities in the contracts of the RAAPPS. Right now it is obvious that such deficiencies must be uncovered and the guilty must pay for it. And this is not only about lawyers who cashed the money illegally. Those who decided on the juridical assistance contracts are also responsible. Elena Udrea's company got 12 out of the total 23 contracts and the lawyer cashed 2,35 billion ROL, meaning twice as much as all the other lawyers got together. The minister commented yesterday that the payment had been "arbitrarily" settled, in obvious disproportion with the type of the case at stake. There is also the fact that many cases were lost or contracts were signed in spite of being useless. Elena Udrea replied that in the report there was much "biased and twisted" information. The RAAPPS is not the only institution in such a situation, as the same goes for other state institutions. ZIUA disclosed yesterday that the AVAS (Authority for State Assets Recovery) and the National Company for Highways and Roads had paid millions of Euro to advocacy companies instead of using their own jurists, just like the RAAPPS. Suspicion mounts that certain contracts are but covers for bribe or misuse of funds. In such cases similar to the RAAPPS one the money various advocacy companies cash illegally should be returned. The bribe should be taken back. George TARATA