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Former 10TV journalists, who previously left in corpore the editorial office as an act of solidarity with their colleague – Alina Panico, published on Facebook a video featuring armed Bercut officers and the owner of the TV station, Silviu Tanase. He allegedly called them to kick out of the editorial office journalist Alina Panico. The journalists have announced previously that they had terminated their collaboration with this TV station.
The video shows two officers from Bercut security company entering the editorial office. The name of Timpul newspaper can be read on the background — 10TV is located within its premises.
Silviu Tanase, holder of 10TV license, also features in the video. When asked by the Bercut officer if Alina Panico was dismissed, Silviu Tanase answered that she had not been officially employed. ‘Legally, she does not have an employment contract. It was a kind of verbal agreement of volunteer work’, Tanase said.
According to Alina Panico, there was no verbal agreement reached, but Tanase ignored her statements.
Finally, Bercut representatives said they could not kick out by force ‘a woman’ of the editorial office because she did not behave aggressively.
Previously, 10TV journalists have declared in the press and on social networks that they had resigned in corpore from the channel due to the pressure by Silviu Tanase, the TV station manager, who did not allow them to broadcast on 26 September a message of a MEP criticising the Government of Chisinau for the decision to expel the Turkish citizens. The journalists ignored the manager's request and published secretly the news, and after that Silviu Tanase allegedly requested that Alina Panico leaves the editorial office.
Alina Panico confirmed that she was fired for publishing the news about the MEP statements. ‘On Thursday – 27 September – I was told to leave because of broadcasting that news during the 7 p.m. News Bulletin the day before. My colleagues said: ‘If Alina leaves, we will leave, too’. Journalists say that Silviu Tanase called the Bercut officers.
After the scandal reached the media, Silviu Tanase, holder of 10TV license published an editorial stating that journalists who left the TV channel could not resign, because ‘they have never been employed at TIMPUL PP’. According to Tanase, ‘TIMPUL provides the necessary logistics for the 10TV existence, and our Romanian partners had the mission to provide human resources for the TV station’. In his editorial, Silviu Tanase does not refer to the actual case of journalists' censorship and the fact that he allegedly called the security officers to kick Alina Panico out of the office.
The video was posted on the personal page of Anatol Ursu, moderator of ‘Sfatul Tarii’ talk show, which used to run on 10TV channel.
