October 07, 2008 2:15 PM
BUCHAREST, Romania-A Romanian Cabinet minister was fired Tuesday after
he used a government helicopter to make it to his wedding on time.
Romanian Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu fired Education Minister
Cristian Adomnitei, 33, after it emerged that Adomnitei and another minister
had attended a government meeting in Bucharest on Saturday, then rode the
helicopter 300 miles (485 kilometers) to Iasi, where Adomnitei was getting
married that day.
Using government property for personal reasons is forbidden in Romania.
The other minister was traveling on government business.
However, Tariceanu insisted later Tuesday that he fired Adomnitei, who
is also a legislator, because he joined a majority of legislators in Parliament
last week who voted to raise teachers' salaries by 50 percent.
Tariceanu says the country can't afford that, and Adomnitei later apologized
for his vote.
Adomnitei also has been criticized while serving as education minister
for a series of gaffes, including speaking Romanian incorrectly and not
knowing how many stars are on the European Union flag.
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