Romanian villagers, in Suceava, who build their own bridge because
they were tired of of waiting for authorities to replace a bridge
swept away last July by floods have been taken to court. The problem
was that they didn’t have a permit. So now they are under criminal
investigation.
 
Prosecutor Viorel Damu said Friday that police are trying to identify
those who worked on the bridge, which was built in a single day, Feb.
6. The guilty parties could be jailed for three years or fined up to
70,000 lei ($20,800), he said.
 
The mayor of Marginea called that “absurd.” He said villagers tested
the bridge and limited the allowable weight to 2.5 tons. And they’ll
tear it down again, too, he said — just as soon as authorities find
time build a new one.
 
Marginea was cut in half when the river overflowed seven months ago,
making it difficult to get from one part of the village to the other.
Police may be investigating, but on Thursday the prime minister
commended the villagers’ “solidarity.”
 
And even the prosecutor seemed to relent. He said the villagers could
escape punishment if an investigation concludes they acted out of a
“state of necessity.”