Mugur Ciuvica, a president of the Group for Political Investigations, has accused Democrats Vasile Blaga and Sorin Frunzaverde, ministers in the former government, of having protected cigarette smuggling. Ciuvica has unveiled the minutes of some phone calls recorded by the Romanian Secret Service at the request of the DIICOT (Department to Fight Organized Crime and Terrorism), as well as some witness testimony in the case concerning the cigarette smuggling at Moldova Noua. In the documents there are mentioned the names of interior minister Vasile Blaga and of the president of the District Council in Caras Severin, Sorin Frunzaverde. The documents show that corrupted policemen and customs officers told the criminals that they enjoyed protection from Democrat officials. Omer Radovancovici, a Democrat mayor of the Pojejena village, and George Lupu, owner of a duty free shop, headed the network. (...) The DIICOT sued 10 persons, but disturbed the 2 Democrat ministers who are now denying the accusations with no questions. Vasile Blaga has replied: "Ciuvica has probably got very good knowledge of smuggling action and means used while he was an adviser at Cotroceni Palace." (...) (T.B.)