Viorel Pașca’s illegal care homes in Bihor uncovered amid DIICOT probe

Former caregiver Cati worked for four months in 2022 at a network of illegal elder‑care homes run by Viorel Pașca in Bihor County. She described the facilities as austere, with residents receiving meals prepared from expired products and basic care provided with inadequate supplies. She recalled, “All the food I prepared for the patients was from expired products,” and noted that staff and even children were housed in cramped rooms together with frail elderly patients.

Cati said she was recruited by a local pastor who promised temporary accommodation for her and her four children, but the reality was a “flotant” registration and no lasting housing. She reported that medication was distributed in paper packets, personal hygiene was limited, and the overall environment was unsanitary. The testimony comes as Romanian anti‑organized‑crime agency DIICOT has opened an investigation into Pașca’s activities, accusing him of operating a family‑run charitable association that allegedly exploits vulnerable seniors.

The revelations have raised concerns about elder‑care regulation in Romania and prompted calls for stricter oversight of private homes claiming charitable status.