KPMG Accused of Attempting to Censor Freedom of the Press in Romania, claims România Liberă

BUCHAREST, Romania, Oct. 24 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The journalists of the daily newspaper România Liberă today have published an open letter accusing the global multinational accounting firm KPMG of aiding and abetting members of the Romanian government to rig insolvency hearings to destroy and silence their newspaper, infringing on the publication's fundamental rights to freedom of expression.

"There is no doubt about it – this is a case of privatized censorship. KPMG has been used as a front by certain members of the Romanian government to take over control or shut us down," said Sabin Orcan, chief editor of România Liberă.  "Our publication has survived more than 140 years of the worst types of oppression, including during the Soviet period. But who knew it would be the accountants who would deliver the death blow to freedom of the press in Romania?"

According to the text of the open letter published today in România Liberă, the Romanian Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF) appointed KPMG's local affiliate KPMG Advisory two years ago to take over management for ASF of the insurance company ASTRA, which was a major financial supporter of the newspaper.

However, the open letter states, it became clear that the role of KPMG Advisory was not to recover debts for ASTRA, but instead to silence a critical voice. KPMG on behalf of ASF resisted all attempts at fair and reasonable settlement of debts between ASTRA and România Liberă, which has led to insolvency proceedings which will bring one of Romania's oldest, most popular newspapers under direct government control.

The full text of the open letter to KPMG from România Liberă can be read at http://bit.do/romania-press.

SOURCE Romania Libera