Following the late 1971 arrest of General Ion Șerb on charges of spying for the Soviet Union, Patilineț was removed from supervision of defense and security affairs.Robin Alison Remington, "Balkanization of the Military: Party, Army and Peoples’ Militias in Southeastern Europe", in Balkanistica, vol. 5/1979, p. 32 He then held two ministerial posts within the government: Forest Economy and Construction Materials (January 1972 – December 1977) and Mines, Petroleum and Geology (December 1977 – December 1979). He may have been named to the latter position because Ceaușescu changed his mind about his handling of the Christmas Eve incident. His predecessor, Constantin Băbălău, had shown himself unable to handle the Jiu Valley miners' strike of 1977, during which he was taken captive, and it is possible that Ceaușescu recalled Patilineț' superior ability in managing crises. By mid-1979, Ceaușescu, shaken by the defection of Ion Mihai Pacepa, was keeping close surveillance on numerous high-ranking figures, Patilineț included. Thus, the Securitate reported that he was having affairs with numerous women, which included sexual encounters in his ministerial office; that he enjoyed fine alcoholic drinks and expensive gifts; and that he trafficked bear pelts to Germany.
