Between December 1997 and early 1998, a joint stock company called ARIS INDUSTRIE — fronted by Aristide Roibu of Bucharest and financed in part by the Swiss donor association Basler Hilft (Cyrill Bürgel, president) — built an unauthorized institutional complex on the Cserehát site in Székelyudvarhely (Odorheiu Secuiesc), then transferred the finished real estate to a Bucharest Catholic congregation without the knowledge or consent of the local Hungarian community or the Szent Miklós Association whose name had been used on the permit applications. The dispute that followed involved the local government, the Romanian courts, and the Hungarian Democratic Federation in Romania (RMDSZ). A timeline of the case, drawn from the underlying legal filings:

• Cyrill Bürgel, president of the donor association Basler Hilft, and Aristide Roibu, managing director of ARIS INDUSTRIE (Bucharest), were business partners in a joint venture, OMEGA PRODINVEST, which undertook to finance the Cserehát construction.
• The applications for construction approval were filed in the name of the Szent Miklós Association — but the association’s own leadership knew nothing about it.
• The construction authorization filed on behalf of ARIS INDUSTRIE was initiated by the same person, Gavrilă Ion, who had filed on behalf of the Szent Miklós Association without any authority to do so.
• Town Council Decision No. 3 rents out the municipal land in question for the stated purpose of building a special school for disabled children.
• The allotment contract: the local government leases the land for 99 years for the school project.
• In the donation contract, ARIS INDUSTRIE — the main contractor — instead donates the completed Cserehát real estate to the Immaculate Heart Congregation.
• The local government orders construction halted.
• Penal statements record building-code violations by the two construction firms, ARIS INDUSTRIE and ASCO.
• The judicial order formally interrupting construction on Cserehát.
• Government Decision No. 1346 (Văcăroiu government) rules that the site is to be leased to the Greek Catholic Archbishopric instead — a ruling the following Ciorbea government then invalidated.
• The Court of Appeal of Târgu Mureș overturns the Odorheiu Secuiesc court’s order halting construction; the executive minutes of December 9th record that this ruling was carried out.
• On December 4, 1997 the local government approves the measures already taken by the mayor, vice-mayor, and town clerk — action forced on them by police pressure.
• A joint declaration, signed December 15, 1997 by the local government, Mayor Szász Jenő, Aristide Roibu of ARIS INDUSTRIE, representatives of the Immaculate Heart Congregation, and the round-table organizers — the Helsinki Committee of Romania and the Pro Europe League — commits the parties to a further round table within 90 days.
• The Minority Ministry referent’s report on the December 15, 1997 round-table discussions.
• The Cserehát activity plan drawn up by the Odorheiu Secuiesc local government (January 2, 1998).
• Cyrill Bürgel’s letter, as president of Basler Hilft, to Mayor Szász Jenő of Odorheiu Secuiesc (Basel, December 18, 1997).

Romanian Courts Are Biased

Government Decision No. 1346 of November 27, 1997 was one of the last acts of the outgoing Văcăroiu government. It was invalidated by the incoming Ciorbea government on March 14, 1997 at the urging of the RMDSZ (Hungarian Democratic Federation in Romania) — the point at which the national government became directly involved in the Cserehát case.

For the underlying legal filings, contracts, and court decisions referenced above, see Cserehát: Supporting Documents.