Emil Turdean, a senior member of USR Turda and president of the Podisul Transilvaniei Association, was accused last week of depositing construction waste illegally on land managed by his own organization. The allegation emerged in a video published by Cluj Manifest journalist Ionuț Geană, who concluded the report with the phrase "hoții strigă hoții", thieves shout thieves, a pointed reference to USR Turda's recent environmental accusations against local authorities.

The timing proved awkward. Days before the video surfaced, USR Turda, joined by Environment Minister Diana Buzoianu, had visited the same area in Mihai Viteazu commune to accuse the Turda and Mihai Viteazu administrations of failing to prevent illegal dumping on public and private land. The revelation that construction waste sat on property controlled by a prominent party member shifted local scrutiny.

"I will bring to justice anyone who declares that I am guilty for this situation," Turdean said yesterday in a written statement. He explained that the waste originated from demolition of buildings on the same parcel and was being stored temporarily before processing and reuse. The land, according to Turdean, will soon host a vegetable oil factory powered by solar panels, a project overseen by the association.

Turdean maintained that household refuse found on the site may have been dumped by local residents during his absence. He did not specify how long the material had been present or provide documentation of planned waste processing.

Paul Cristian Olaru, mayor of Mihai Viteazu commune, told Geană in a follow-up video released yesterday that local residents had alerted him to the dumped material. "I was notified by locals about what was happening on that land," Olaru said. He then notified the Environmental Guard, the state body responsible for enforcing environmental regulations.

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The Environmental Guard conducted an inspection and confirmed the presence of construction waste on the association's land. The Guard's findings validated the core claim made by Cluj Manifest, though no formal penalties or legal proceedings have been reported. The Guard has not released a public statement detailing the volume or type of waste found.

The phrase "hoții strigă hoții" used by Geană has circulated widely on social media and in local press coverage. USR Turda's campaign against local administrations for environmental mismanagement is now complicated by the presence of waste on a member's property, while local officials have pointed to their own actions in reporting the issue as evidence of environmental oversight.

Turdean's threat of legal action signals an escalation in what has become a public dispute. No court filings have been reported. The association's plans for the land, including the vegetable oil factory and solar panels, remain in preparatory stages.

The Environmental Guard's inspection followed standard procedure after a mayoral notification. According to the institution's mandate, inspections are carried out upon receipt of credible reports from local officials or citizens. In this case, the inspection confirmed the presence of construction waste, but the Guard has not specified whether further action will be taken against the association or its leadership.

The Environmental Guard has launched an investigation into the allegations. Turdean has not publicly responded to the dumping claims, and the association has made no statement regarding the construction waste or remediation plans.