Radio România Internațional

Tag: Banila

  • The Head of Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism steps down

    The Head of Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism steps down

    Romanian president Klaus Iohannis
    on Wednesday signed a decree on the resignation of Felix Banila, the head of
    Romania’s main Directorate for Investigating Crime and Terrorism, DIICOT.
    Banila announced his intention to step down after the president had called for
    his resignation in a prime time broadcast.








    Klaus Iohannis: DIICOT’s
    involvement in the Caracal case should have added a plus of professionalism and
    credibility, but this failed to happen with Mr. Banila as chief prosecutor and
    the investigation still has to provide answers to several questions. The way in
    which things have gone so far has raised a series of suspicions and eroded
    people’s trust in authorities. Such an approach could lead to poor results only.
    So I have called on Mr. Banila, to step down from the position of DIICOT chief
    prosecutor.






    President Iohannis has blamed the
    former chief prosecutor for the way in which the investigation in the Caracal file
    has been conducted – this being a difficult file with a heavy public emotional
    payload. In this case, prosecutors must establish whether two minor girls were killed
    by an alleged human trafficker.




    What the Romanian president said he
    witnessed so far was only the authorities’ inability to respond and react
    promptly as well as a series of outrageous public gestures coming from these
    authorities, including from DIICOT. In the president’s opinion these are
    tantamount to a lack of concern for both the victims and their families.








    Banila says he doesn’t feel guilty
    but he decides to step down to prevent his colleagues from working under pressure.
    The president’s latest move concerning the resignation of the DIICOT chief has
    been perceived by many as a pure electoral maneuver. We recall that Iohannis is
    presently running for a second term in office and his involvement in the
    Caracal case so far was almost next to nothing.








    Furthermore the president has been
    accused by his opponents of having endorsed an unprecedented situation in
    Romania’s legal system, because after Banila’s resignation, all prosecutor
    offices across the country are being headed by interim chief prosecutors, which
    could bear on the activity of the aforementioned institutions.








    The General Prosecutor’s Office has
    been functioning without a chief prosecutor for half a year now and the
    National Anti-corruption Directorate has been led by an interim
    chief-prosecutor for more than a year, after the former Justice Minister’s
    appointee was turned down by president Iohannis.






    (translated by bill)



  • Démission à la tête du parquet en charge de la lutte contre le crime organisé.

    Démission à la tête du parquet en charge de la lutte contre le crime organisé.

    Le président roumain, Klaus Iohannis, a signé ce mercredi le décret de révocation de ses fonctions du procureur en chef de la Direction d’Investigation du crime organisé et du terrorisme (DIICOT), Felix Bănilă, a annoncé l’Administration présidentielle. Antérieurement, ce dernier avait annoncé sa démission, une démission demandée d’ailleurs par le chef de l’Etat, lors d’un point de presse ce lundi. Klaus Iohannis: « La direction d’investigation des infractions de crime organisé est une institution dont l’implication dans le dossier « Caracal » aurait dû faire preuve de davantage de professionnalisme et de crédibilité. Et pourtant, sous la direction de M Bănilă, l’enquête ne fait que laisser des points d’interrogation majeurs. La manière dont les choses se sont déroulées jusqu’ici ne fait que causer des suspicions et d’accentuer le manque de confiance du public dans les autorités. Une telle approche ne fait que produire de mauvais résultats. Je demande donc à M Bănilă de démissionner de ses fonctions de procureur en chef de la Direction nationale d’investigation des infractions de criminalité organisée et de terrorisme » a déclaré Klaus Iohannis.

    En fait, le chef de l’Etat a déploré la manière dont les enquêtes avaient été menées au sujet du meurtre de deux jeunes filles à Caracal, localité du sud du pays, un dossier difficile qui a engendré d’importants échos dans la société roumaine. L’auteur présumé des faits, Gheorghe Dincă est également soupçonné de faire partie d’un réseau de traite de personnes. Or, Klaus Iohannis dénonce les réactions tardives et des gestes scandaleux de la part des autorités, y compris de la part du parquet anti-mafia, qui, à son avis, témoignent d’un manque de préoccupation pour les victimes et pour leurs familles.

    De son côté, Felix Bănilă soutient ne pas avoir échoué dans l’accomplissement de ses tâches et affirme avoir prix la décision de démissionner pour que ses collègues puissent travailler dans un climat dépourvu de pression publique. Pourtant, de l’avis des analystes, la demande du président Iohannis ne serait qu’une démarche électorale puisque le chef de l’Etat est candidat à sa propre succession au scrutin présidentiel de novembre prochain. Ce qui plus est, jusqu’ici, le président Klaus Iohannis n’a fait qu’ignorer le dossier Caracal, ses déclarations publiques à ce sujet étant presqu’inexistantes.

    Et ce n’est pas tout. Farouche défenseur de l’indépendance de la Justice et initiateur d’un référendum à ce sujet, le chef de l’Etat est accusé d’avoir perpétué une situation sans précédent pour la justice roumaine. Désormais, tous les principaux parquets de Roumanie ont à leur tête des directeurs par intérim, ce qui peut nuire à leur fonctionnement. Depuis six mois, il n’y a plus de procureur en chef au Parquet général, alors que la Section d’investigation des infractions dans la Justice n’a plus de directeur depuis juin dernier. Et cela fait déjà 15 mois que le Parquet anticorruption est dirigée par un chef par intérim, puisque le président Klaus Iohannis a rejeté la personne nomée par l’ex-ministre de la justice Tudorel Toader. (Trad. Alex Diaconescu)

  • October 1, 2019

    October 1, 2019

    CANDIDATE The National Executive
    Committee of the ruling Social Democratic Party PSD will today convene to
    designate a new European Commissioner candidate after the Legal Affairs
    Committee of the European Parliament had turned down the candidacy of Rovana Plumb
    on alleged conflict of interest. Yesterday, Romania’s Prime Minister Viorica
    Dancila announced she would come up with another appointee for the seat of the
    European Commissioner for Transport. Dancila was invited by the country’s
    president Klaus Iohannis to have talks on this issue on Wednesday. Last week,
    the Social-Democratic MEP Rovana Plumb was asked to clear some controversial
    aspects in her asset declaration related to a loan she had taken to fund an
    election campaign. On Monday, Plumb said she had extinguished the 168 thousand
    euro loan, which caused suspicions about the conflict of interest.










    VOTE The opposition’s no confidence vote against the minority
    PSD government is to be submitted to Parliament today, Ludovic Orban, leader of
    the National Liberal Party has announced. According to him, the vote has been
    initiated by the Liberals and is presently backed by MPs belonging to USR,
    UDMR, PMP, ALDE, Pro Romania and even some from the PSD. The Social-Democrats
    believe the vote will fail as it doesn’t come up with a governing programme and
    a new Prime Minister. We recall the Executive led by Mrs. Dancila lost its Legislative majority
    after its partner, ALDE, had left the ruling coalition in late August.










    EUROPALIA Romanian president Klaus Iohannis is today participating in Brussels
    in the official opening of the International Art Festival Europalia, where
    Romania is an honorary guest. Iohannis’ visit comes in response to an
    invitation from king Philippe. The two heads of state are to visit an
    exhibition entitled ‘Brancusi. Sublimation of Forms’ – the most important
    exhibition devoted to the Romanian sculptor staged in the past decades, which
    is also the festival’s main event. The two officials are also to participate in
    a concert entitled ‘the Romanian Rhapsody’ given by the SoNoRo ensemble. The
    Europalia Festival brings together numerous events held in Belgium, the
    Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and Great Britain. Besides exhibitions, it
    includes theatre, dance and music performances, visual art and literature
    projects, and over 100 film screenings.












    CEREMONIES Hundreds of thousands of students have today resumed courses in
    universities all over the country. Some universities staged ceremonies as early
    as yesterday but the university year kicked off today in all military
    universities across Romania. Ferdinand l Technical Military Academy and Carol l
    Defence University have opened their gates in the presence of Defence Minister
    Gabriel Les. Romania currently boasts 54 public and 47 private universities.












    DIICOT Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis has called for the resignation
    of Felix Banila, the chief prosecutor of the anti-mafia department DIICOT for
    the inappropriate way in which investigations into the recent killing of three
    young girls in southern Romania have been carried out. According to Iohannis,
    the events have triggered belated responses and outrageous public reactions from
    some authorities, which imply their lack of concern for both the victims and
    their families. In response, Banila announced he would pay maximum attention to
    the president’s request. In a communiqué, Banila said he would glean opinions
    from his colleagues, his bosses and all those involved in his appointment after
    which he would make public his decision. According to the DIICOT head, his
    resignation will have consequences leading to instability, which is
    inconceivable in an EU and NATO member country.






    (translated by bill)