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Romanian stray dogs.Potential deception, fund embezzlement and fiscal fraud.

by Ana Halmageanu (office [at] spca.ro)
Romanian stray dogs.
Potential deception, fund embezzlement and fiscal fraud.





We profoundly regret that we are obligged to sent you this report , but we consider that the people have the right to know how are used the money and the goods, donated for the romanian stray-dogs to Romanian Animal Rescue US/ROLDA/Nancy Janes/Dana Costin,and to Veronica Titchener UK.
Friendly,
Ana Halmageanu
President of SPCA -Romania


Please feel free to forward/cross post / circulate this report




Romanian stray dogs.
Potential deception, fund embezzlement and fiscal fraud.


PAY ATTENTION to whom you make donations and to their use; react as you notice any misuse.
We would like to begin with one important mention:
We do not wish to embezzle anyone’s funds, neither does our organization, as you can see on our site http://www.spca.ro

The reason for this report lies in the prejudice infringed on Romanian animal protection associations by deception and fund embezzlement.
In order to save as many animals as possible, they are confronted with unimaginable financial hardships, and all too often personal and social sacrifices are needed, too.

It is these small and anonymous organizations that do the job while others, such as ROLDA raise funds to achieve wealth thus neglecting legal provisions as well as moral principles.

This is how organizations that are genuinely involved in animal protection activities are deprived of funds that are vital for their purpose, and, the more so, they are denigrated and isolated.

As is it probably well known in charity, where funds are raised, there are always fund embezzlements and frauds which have now become a calculated 10 % risk, according to certain sources, from the entire activity. Still, this is not to say that this habit should be overlooked.

We strongly believe that there are “animal people”, “fundraising (animal) people” and “computer (animal) people”. The first category bears all the difficulty of the task, the second works to help the first, and the third category works for themselves. The last category can very easily be considered a pirate category – placing advertising materials on various sites only to hide the lies and deception behind a non-existent organization.


It is our moral and material duty, of those who really care about the purpose of our activity (animal protection and welfare), to denounce abuse and fund embezzlement by honoring the trust that sponsors invest in us.

From spring 2004, ROLDA has become a suspect and required close monitoring of its activity.

According to the presentation ROLDA has made public on the 28th of May 2005 on the Care 2 site - groups discussion, Dana Costin is:
- an official of Romanian Animal Rescue US, as ROLDA is branch of RAR -US ( whose presence in Romania is not legal according to Romanian legal provisions, without charity number in Romania)
- Representative of Greyhound Action International for Eastern Europe and Russia.
- Representative of Canadian Voice for Animals in Romania.

We doubt whether these organizations are aware of the illegal operating of ROLDA in Romania and we will require an answer from the last two organizations, after they receive this report .

1. The alleged ROLDA shelter is the private courtyard of Dana Costin in the village of Smardan, Galatzi County .It is closed to visitors and shelters only 12-15 dogs.Usually the place is visited only by foreign guests. Try to go there without prior notice and you will be stupefied!

We are convinced that the purchase sponsor of the land Greyhound Action UK is not aware of the fact that the land is Dana Costin’s property.

According to Romanian laws, her shelter does not hold an operating license from the Romanian Veterinary Authority, the Environment Authority, from the local City Hall, from the Public Authority; neither will it hold one, as the law forbids the operating of a shelter within a public community.

Presenting the ROLDA shelter as “heaven on earth” defies commonsense.
How should we categorize such shelters that are organized according to international standards – cemented paddocks, sewage systems and running water, running field, kitchen, consulting room and other facilities, like some of the Romanian shelters really are but whom the foreign visitors(potential sponsors or fundraisers) have been prevented from seeing?

We can provide a list of such names upon request.

Sheltering 20 dogs,as the visitors found ther, is something really ridiculous in comparison to the other shelters from Romania, because the last ones take care of 100, 150, 300 (and even more) dogs.In Romania it’s something common that the animal lovers take care of 10-20 dogs in their homes or courtyards.

2. Dana Costin’s personal house ,so called Rolda’s office ,where she lives with Roland Cepraga, was actually sponsored and renovated (as this was their) by RAR and some other donors. Are the sponsors aware of this fact?

3. After a fundraising campaign coordinated by RAR for purchasing a van, Dana Costin received money and pretended that she would buy it for Rolda Organization. It was a big lie because this car was registered on her name as her own good!

4. According to her affirmation, Dana Costin said that she had fed stray dogs with dry food for more than a year. The food was paid by DELTA RESCUE – U.S. It’s impossible she can prove what she said because all dogs can do, is to “sign” with their paw or nose print only.
We insist documents be produced by the Galatzi City Hall,the managing body of the municipal shelters,to demonstrate Rolda was feeding the dogs there.Otherwise......?
The estimated number of 14,000 stray dogs from Galati city and vicinities does not have any real support, as such evaluations are not feasible, not even by local authorities. The estimate is yet another reason to ask for more funds for TNR programs, for helping persons which adopt stray dogs or for persons without material possibilities for feeding dogs.
Should you require documents attesting the abovementioned activities, you will definitely be stunned by what you will learn.

5.Last year, Rolda (D. Costin) pretended that she had developed a TNR program for 2,000 strays. How can she prove that she spayed /neutered so many dogs?
The calculation is easy …2,000 dogs x 1,500 lei (50 $)/ for each sterilization = 100,000 $ . THAT IS WHERE YOUR MONEY,distinguished sponsors,D.Costin could say.
To overdraw the number of spayed/ neutered dogs is an old practice of some foreign organization that operate in Romania,as it ts impossibile to keep credibile records.In this respect,does ROLDA posses documents certifying 2000 surgical operations.

6. It must be said that Dana Costin doesn’t have the right to employ personal for maintaining and cleaning –up the shelter. Moreover, she can’t employ vets for Rolda’s activities because Rolda was not set up legally!

7. She has also started a fundraising campaign for building a vet clinic with post operation facilities.
A paddock cannot be evaluated at 1,000 euro, according to Dana Costin, but a maximum of 300 euro. Building a veterinary clinic required numerous approvals and authorizations

It could be possibile that Dana Costin’s interest is to own the clinic to earn personal profit and not to help stray dogs. As this is Dana Costin’s property, she will dispose things as she wishes. Whereas having the status of an organization, the activity would be managed and supervised by a managing board or by an council of administration.

By the way: who are the other ROLDA members; as it seems, Dana Costin and Roland Cepraga are the only members that appear as both the staff and the managing board?
In the presentation, Dana Costin denies having received local or government support. According to the Romania law, in order to be able to receive funds as organization , there are several standards to comply with: a three-year experience in the field, pass a very strict assessment by the competent authorities, be incorporated with the National NGO Registry and have registers annual balance sheets.

ROLDA is a fake organization, is not registered at the National NGO Registry, has no charity number, fiscal registration number, which are compulsory according to the Romanian legislation enforce. ( you will have upon request,the legalised translation of the Galatzi Court statement).

If you wish to verify this information, you can go on the site of the Romanian government (http://www.guv.ro) and of the Fiscal Administration Agency (http://www.mfinante.ro) and you will see for yourselves that ROLDA does not exist, it is only a conception of a person whose sole aim is to raise funds.

We belive that using the funds for personal profit, Dana Costin could be guilty not only for fund embezzlement, but for fiscal fraud and deception as well.

We can even assume, there is a money laundering activity in which the RAR US is involved, which has willingly given money to a non-existent organization ,maybe ,sharing profits with Dana Costin.

To support this, we draw your attention on Nancy James’ CV, the RAR founder. She was a bank teller for 2 years, and an American Airlines flight attendant for 5 years, after which, “she kept the books for her husband’s two horse equipment shops” for 20 years.
She also worked in the nonprofit field for 6 years at the Sierra Club.

We can assume that, experience in the banking system, public relation experience and non profit activities, not earning a lot of profit out of family business, N.J. thought it wouldn’t hurt to set up a dog’s NGO for Romania; D. Costin thought it would be better for the both to work together.

We consider that Nancy Janes has the logistic and is well aware of how to make money on her own.

Moreover, RAR is guilty of breaking the Romanian law:
- financing an unregistered organization in Romania. Surprisingly, RAR calls itself Romanian but it really finances only ROLDA, or Dana Costin more precisely. (source Animal people, may 2005 “Model for helping….). Where are the other organizations in Romania that should benefit from RAR funding?
- Collecting money on behalf of ROLDA but in fact financing a private individual is considered fund embezzlement.
- Medicine importation in Romania is regulated according to EU legislation; such activity requires licensing. Inflammable, toxic and narcotic substances are forbidden on Romanian territory without license.
Expired medicines shall not be the subject of importations.
Does Nancy James think that Romania is but a waste bin, that dogs in Romania have a different status?

ATTENTION

Import of NEUTERSOL registered in the US for 5 years under no 141-217 on the 17 march 2003 is forbidden, as there is no license for it; even so, it may not be used to sterilize adult male dogs as does Dana Costin ( by illegally importing through RAR, from the US)., which is a proof of cruelty towards dogs, punished under the Romanian law. Isn’t it in the US?

In 1999 a test was run to experiment the product on 5 dogs, in order to patent the product in Romania, while it was still in the experiential stage in the US. I personally witnessed the test, therefore, I can say that the process causes great pains in the dogs, the dogs become aggressive as a result of it, and to let such a dog loose after the experiment constitutes a real danger for the population.

Moreover, the high cost of the substance, local anesthesia, and the strict surveillance of the subject renders the entire process inefficient.

The veterinarians from Galati that used the product provided by Dana Costin will have to liable to the Sanitary-Veterinary National Authority and to the Medicine National Authority. If Ileana Gheorghitza , the ROLDA vet, thinks she can break the laws only because her husband is the head of the Galati sanitary-veterinary agency, she is wrong; more so, she can even do her husband more harm, as result of the conflict of interests born in this context.
_____________________________
Vets’ presence as volunteers in sterilization programs is not only very expensive but also a misdemeanor. Romanian Law stipulates that the right of practising veterinary medicine is given by Vets’ National Association- Romania. Veterinary doctors from aboard could practise in Romania (even in charity campaign) only if they get the practice license from VNA-Romania. We can’t be sure that the foreigners introduced to us as vets by the occasion of a charity campaign ,could be as they claims to be.They also could be students which want to practise , “to improve their skills” using our dogs…For that, they could be accused of cruelty in case of mortality.

Romanian vets’ defamation by Rolda and RAR is an unacceptable insult in what it concerns this professional grouping(vets’ corporation).It’s possible that some vets could not be so talented in surgery.All over the world it happens so.But there are in Romania universities of veterinary medicine that are recognized as being certain european values.
For collecting and exporting some expired medicines from the U.S. to Romania , for sending animals welfare funds to a private individual - Dana Costin, we believe that RAR should be investigated by the American Authorities.For Romanian vets’ defamation RAR and ROLDA also have to support the rigors of Romanian Laws.

The funds’ collections sending to Dana Costin seem to be important, almost 70,000 $/yearly. She also collected two truks with goods from the UK, many packages with medicines, surgical stuffs, etc.
As it wasn’t ENOUGH she also wants “to endow” her property with pools with plants and ornamental rocks, with solar lamps for alleys .She also asks for video system for supervising, alarm system, etc (wish list –Animal People).
The assurance given by RAR and Rolda (Animal People may-july 2005-Top stories)that the funds were be used 100% in animals’ welfare seems to be a HUGE LIE !!

In the same article mentioned above, it is shown clearly that Rolda’s bank account is actually Dana Costin’s account.It’s an account for a private individual not for organizations!!!Could you answer at the following question:Do you know at least a donor that has a receipt for sending funds, from Rolda organization !!!?? not from Dana Costin as private individual.More over, she also made an account in the United Kingdom (number account:90260916 – Barclays Bank plc. Abingdon Branch, South Oxfordshire Group UK-account opened on behalf of Rolda Organization by Veronica Titchener.Where has been published how the money’s administration was done???

A FUNNY JOKE: “MENTION ROLDA IN YOUR WILL” (Animal people may-july 2005 – Top stories). We refuse to think that people could be so naïve.
In our opinion RAR-US, “ROLDA” and Dana Costin are definitely compromised and that’s why we’re sending you this message for stopping funds increase for Rolda organization


Note

All of information on both RAR and “ROLDA”,are free to get from internet sites. Dana Costin as a private individual, is at the moment the single beneficiary of the funds from those generous persons donated for RAR-US as “ROMANIAN” org.and for Veronica Titchener. UK. Funding a private individual with money collected for an organization,as fa as we are concerned fraud.
For the moment the facts are:
1. “ROLDA” is not registered; source :the document of the Galati Law Court clearly demonstrates, as far as we are concerned, that” ROLDA” is not registered in Romania and cannot operate legally.
2. Absence of “ROLDA “annual financial statements (from establishment to date) filed with the Romanian fiscal authority; source :site of the Romanian government (http://www.guv.ro) and of the Fiscal Administration Agency (http://www.mfinante.ro)
3.Holder of the “ROLDA “bank account is D.Costin; source:”ROLDA's May Newsletter 2005” Ways to help
Bank account:
Name:Costin Elena Daniela-ROLDA
IBAN:RO02 BPOS 1800 3004 831E UR01 (Euro account)
IBAN:RO46 BPOS 1800 3004 831U SD01 ($ US account)
IBAN:RO25 BPOS 1800 3004 831G BP01 (GBP account)
BancPost
Adress:Str.Movilei 2-8,Galati,Romania
For the rest,please ask “ROLDA” to produce documents to prove:
1. Ownership of the land and the building of the so-called ROLDA shelter;for both money where donated by Greyhound Action International org.
2. Ownership of the van for which money was collected in the US to serve as funding for ROLDA; source :page 14 Animal People July/August 2004


SUPPLEMENTARY
Questions of common sense:

1. How were spent 44,000 $ collected by R.A.R.for ROLDA in 2004?
(source:ANIMAL PEOPLE Thursday, August 25, 2005
MAY 2005” A model for helping overseas animal charities”)

2.Why Dana Costin is traing to rise 42,000 $ in 2005
for the same objective :shelter and vet clinic?(source: ROMANIAN STRAYS - Looking-Glass Global News -
“The battle for animal rights in Romania” -Wed, 06 Jul 2005)

3.Why Rolda lied in the same article of Looking Glass
magazine from 06/07/ 2005 in what it concerned the
charity number ,giving a false one?(source: ROMANIAN STRAYS - Looking-Glass Global News -
The battle for animal rights in Romania -Wed, 06 Jul 2005


Ana Halmageanu
President of SPCA Romania

SOCIETY for the PREVENTION of CRUELTY to ANIMALS
Romania Bucharest
Charity nr. 132PJ/2000
web-site: http://www.spca.ro Email : office [at] spca.ro



atmagea.jpg
Thank you for the news, but what about happens in the public shelters of Botosani, Tulcea, Costanta, and in many other Romanian cities and in every Romanian place, where dogs are murdered in every inhuman way? Maybe Ana Halmageanu and SPCA Romania are concerned only in the money, because if they really cared for the dogs, they would figth against Romanian Government and the Romanian people.
by Marguerite White
Evil load of scum doing the unspeakable to dogs who have never harmed or done anything there only crime is to be born.
by mandy easter
This is absolutely untrue...Rolda is corrupt but RAR Romania Animal Rescue has nothing to do with Rolda in any way shape or form!!Please do proper research and get your facts correct before posting such things!!
by Nancy Janes
Romania Animal Rescue stopped working with ROLDA and Dana Costin due to thefts and fraud. We ceased any work with them in 2006. This article helped to alert us to the deception, lies and thefts of ROLDA.
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