Editing Dorian Văleanu

{{Infobox person
| name = Dorian Văleanu
| image = Dorian Văleanu, c 1990s.png
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1947|4|12|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Ciocănești, Suceava]], [[Romania]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1997|3|18|1947|4|12|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Bucharest]], [[Romania]]
| occupation = {{hlist|Lawyer|Politician}}
| era = [[Vriend Era]]
| known_for = Investigation of [[Bucharest Butchers]] payments to police officers
| title = Member of the [[Chamber of Deputies (Romania)|Chamber of Deputies]]
| term = 1990–1997
| political_party = [[Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party|PNȚCD]]
}}

'''Dorian Văleanu''' (12 April 1947 – 18 March 1997) was a Romanian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the [[Chamber of Deputies (Romania)|Chamber of Deputies]] from 1990 until his assassination in 1997. A member of the [[Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party|Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party (PNȚCD)]], he served on the [[Committee for the Investigation of Abuses, Corrupt Practices and Petitions]] throughout his parliamentary career and became one of its secretaries in 1996. Shortly before his death, Văleanu obtained records showing payments from the [[Bucharest Butchers]] to police officers.

== Early life ==

Văleanu was born on 12 April 1947 in [[Ciocănești, Suceava]], where his father worked in forestry. His mother arranged for him to continue his secondary education in [[Vatra Dornei]] despite his father's initial opposition. During the school week he stayed with a family in Vatra Dornei and returned to Ciocănești at weekends.

As a teenager, Văleanu confronted a local official after two families accused of the same minor violation received different treatment. He and his father were later questioned by the local Miliția. Văleanu admitted confronting the official but refused to withdraw what he had said. His father punished him for bringing police attention to the family, although he privately acknowledged that the families had been treated differently.

At school, Văleanu did particularly well in Romanian and history. During one lesson he challenged a teacher after the account being given of collectivisation contradicted material that the class had previously been taught. The dispute ended with Văleanu being sent to the headmaster. After he completed secondary school in 1965, the same headmaster allowed him to cover history lessons for younger pupils for several weeks. The arrangement ended early after complaints that Văleanu was introducing conflicting historical accounts that went beyond the prescribed material.

In autumn 1965, Văleanu began studying law at [[Alexandru Ioan Cuza University]] in [[Iași]]. During his studies, he helped another student who had been accused of making hostile political remarks during a private discussion. Văleanu compared the conflicting accounts given about what had been said and helped the student prepare his response. The university eventually dropped the case because the allegation could not be supported by the available accounts. Văleanu graduated in 1969.

== Legal career ==

After graduating, Văleanu returned to [[Suceava]] and began practising law. His work increasingly included cases brought by residents challenging decisions made by local officials.

In 1975, Văleanu decided that remaining in Suceava limited the cases available to him and applied to transfer his practice to [[Bucharest]]. He moved to the capital that year and continued practising there through the 1980s.

== Political career ==

After the fall of the communist government in December 1989, Văleanu approached the newly re-established [[Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party|PNȚCD]] and joined the party. He was elected as a Bucharest deputy in May 1990 and joined the Committee for the Investigation of Abuses and Petitions during his first term. He retained his seat in the 1992 election and was elected again in 1996.

By his final parliamentary term, Văleanu was a secretary of the committee, by then named the Committee for the Investigation of Abuses, Corrupt Practices and Petitions. During the mid-1990s he examined complaints concerning the disposal of state property. One investigation concerned allegations that a state company had been undervalued before privatization.

Văleanu also questioned businessman [[Victor Nedelea]] over a municipal property-management contract. During the hearing, he asked Nedelea who had introduced him to the municipal officials involved in the contract. Nedelea refused to answer and later told Văleanu that he would regret continuing the investigation.

In March 1997, Văleanu obtained records showing that police officers in Bucharest had received payments from the [[Bucharest Butchers]]. He was preparing the material for the committee when the organization decided to have him killed.<ref name="mircea-valeanu"/>

== Death ==

On 18 March 1997, Văleanu left a constituency meeting in [[Bucharest]] and walked toward his car on a nearby side street. At about 20:12, [[Mircea Ionuț]] followed him from the building and approached from behind. Văleanu heard him and began to turn before Ionuț fired at close range. A second shot was fired after Văleanu fell beside the car. Ionuț concealed the weapon and walked away.<ref name="mircea-valeanu"/>

A member of Văleanu's constituency staff heard the shots and found him unconscious beside the car. The staff member pressed clothing against his wound until an ambulance arrived. Văleanu died during transport at 20:29.

Police took custody of the paper case file Văleanu had been carrying. The file contained his notes and the records concerning payments to police officers. While it passed between police offices, the pages identifying the officers who had received money were removed before the file reached the homicide investigators.<ref name="mircea-valeanu"/>

Officers connected to the Bucharest Butchers then directed attention toward Nedelea and the threat he had made after his committee appearance. Nedelea was formally treated as a suspect in the killing. Hotel records later established that he had been attending a business dinner at the [[InterContinental Bucharest]] when Văleanu was shot, and hotel staff independently confirmed his presence. After Nedelea was cleared, compromised officers continued directing investigators toward weak personal and business leads. Regular investigative work had largely stopped by the end of 1997.

In 2025, investigators searching an old Bucharest Butchers storage property near [[Obor]] recovered an assignment ledger dating from 1997. The entry listed Văleanu as a target and named Mircea Ionuț as the assigned gunman. A completion notation was dated 18 March. Other records showed that [[Dumitru Ionuț]] had requested the assassination after learning about Văleanu's investigation, with [[Oskar Dirlewanger]] approving the killing before Mircea was assigned.<ref name="mircea-valeanu"/>

== See also ==
* [[Mircea Ionuț]]
* [[Bucharest Butchers]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="mircea-valeanu">"[[Mircea Ionuț#Criminal career|Criminal career]]". ''Mircea Ionuț''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''.</ref>
}}


[[Category:People]]

[[Category:1947 births]]

[[Category:1997 deaths]]

[[Category:Romanian lawyers]]

[[Category:Romanian politicians]]