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Tag: DNA Chief Laura Codruta Kovesi

  • The Week in Review (March 26-31)

    The Week in Review (March 26-31)

    The Prince of Wales on a formal visit to Bucharest


    On the very day the UK officially launched Brexit talks, with London triggering Art. 50 of the Treaty on European Union, the British Crown Prince Charles started an official visit to Bucharest as part of the European tour. As the Prince of Wales said upon receiving the “Star of Romania” National Order, in Rank of Grand Cross, from President Klaus Iohannis, for the 20 years since he has been visiting Romania he has tried to help Romanians remember the distinctiveness of their culture, their architectural legacy and, above all, their potential today. Charles also mentioned that he had been impressed to hear about the sufferings of Romanians under the communist regime and about the destruction brought about by that regime at a human and cultural level. During the award ceremony, President Iohannis appreciated the dedication and involvement of the Prince of Wales in charity work in Romania, as well as his contribution to promoting Romanias image abroad.



    Klaus Iohannis: “Your Royal Highness involvement in a large number of village restoration projects, in promoting local products, in traditional crafts training and education, has been a valuable contribution to raising awareness on a life style in which nature, tradition and modern man may coexist in harmony. We are also grateful to Your Royal Highness for expressing your admiration for Romanias spiritual and cultural heritage, every time you talk about Romania and its citizens.”



    The agenda of this second official visit to Romania by the Prince of Wales also included talks with PM Sorin Grindeanu, when one of the topics approached was the development and strengthening of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the UK, based on improved security cooperation and on substantial economic ties. HRH Charles also had meetings with members of the Royal Family of Romania.



    The future of the EU under debate


    Romania does not support a concentric circles Europe, nor a multi-speed European Union, which may lead to a deepening of social and economic divides between Member States. This is Romanias official stand, as reiterated by President Klaus Iohannis in Malta, the country that is currently holding the rotating presidency of the EU. In his address at the Congress of the European Peoples Party, the head of the Romanian state said the Union was at a crossroads, facing complex crises of unprecedented intensity. Terrorist attacks, migration, nationalism, populism, Brexit and, more than anything else, the escalation of Euro skepticism have become major challenges, Klaus Iohannis underlined. In Bucharest, the Romanian authorities announced that Romanias main objective during the negotiations for Brexit was to ensure the observance of the rights of the Romanian citizens working and studying in Great Britain. According to estimates, more than 250,000 Romanians are living in the UK.



    Romanias Prosecutor General and the Chief Prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate still in office


    Romanias Prosecutor General, Augustin Lazăr, and the Chief Prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA), Laura Codruţa Kovesi, will not be replaced. The Justice Minister, Tudorel Toader, stated that he made the assessment of the heads of the two institutions without any external interference or pressure. He explained that the DNA, when investigating emergency government decree no. 13, assumed the responsibility to undertake an investigation into a domain that goes beyond their legal authority, and the magistrates of the Constitutional Court re-established the balance between the state powers through their verdict. We recall that through decree no. 13 the coalition government made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberal and Democrats tried to amend the criminal anti-corruption legislation, which triggered large-scale street protests.



    The Justice Minister Tudorel Toader also announced the intention of monitoring the activity of prosecutors:


    “In the spirit of observing the rule of law, we believe it opportune to initiate a careful monitoring of the activity of prosecutors working for the DNA, the DIICOT- Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, and the Prosecutors Office with the High Court of Cassation and Justice. The monitoring should be made by the justice minister, and, as far as I am concerned, I can assure you that Ill do my job without any interference that could affect the independence of prosecutors.”



    As an avowed supporter of the prosecutors anti-corruption efforts, President Klaus Iohannis says he is content with the activity of Romanias Prosecutor General and of the Chief Prosecutor of the DNA. The Romanian President does not share the opinion of the Justice Minister regarding DNAs allegedly overstepping its authority: “I do expect the justice minister to support the Public Ministry, the Prosecutor General, the Chief Prosecutor of the DNA, the Chief Prosecutor of the DIICOT for them to better comply with their missions. If they work together in what I have called loyal cooperation, the Justice Ministry and the Public Ministry could make things right, unlike the moment when, early this year, they had divergent opinions over decree no. 13.”



    The PM Sorin Grindeanu has asked to be constantly informed on the results of the continuous monitoring of the prosecutors activity and has given assurances that the Government is firmly committed to combating corruption.

  • Romanian Justice in the Spotlight Again

    Romanian Justice in the Spotlight Again


    In February this year, hundreds of thousands of scandalized Romanians took to the streets to take part in the largest rallies Romania has seen since the fall of communism in 1989. Soon after being sworn in, the government, made up of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE), tried to grant collective pardon and amend the criminal codes through emergency decrees. After the protesters discourse was publicly shared by the right-of-center opposition, the media and Romanias western partners, the Government members felt cornered and had to eventually withdraw the decrees. Nevertheless, the public opinion continues to suspect that the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats plan to exonerate from criminal liability high-level politicians and decision-makers with the central and local administration.



    On Sunday evening, fresh protests against the Government and Parliament were held in the capital Bucharest and several other cities, as the Romanian MPs are currently debating a pardon bill, initiated by the Social Democrat senator Serban Nicolae. In Bucharest, around three thousand people expressed their outrage at this bill, which pardons certain acts of corruption. Protesters have denounced what they see as the politicization of the Constitutional Court, which has recently ruled that the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) exceeded their attributions when investigating the way in which the emergency decree amending the criminal codes was adopted.



    Protesters have again called on the Government to resign:


    “This Government should leave because they made changes aimed at fooling the people.”


    “I no longer want a political class that represents itself or decision makers who make a career out of politics”.


    “When you finally relax because you think that they eventually understood what this is about, here comes senator Serban Nicolae, who deplores the sad life of detainees. You could be easily fooled if you didnt know what he is really after. I wonder which is the politicians priority? Have they ever stepped into an oncology hospital? Honestly, what I really want is for this government to resign.”



    In another move, the new Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, appointed after the author of the emergency decrees, his predecessor Florin Iordache had to resign, pleads for transparency in decision making, in keeping with the Constitution and the EU standards. Toader says that the Bucharest authorities are making efforts to lift the European Commissions monitoring of the Romanian justice system.



    “We are still under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. We want to lift this monitoring and we can only do that by having a transparent decision-making mechanism. We can only do that by adopting regulations in keeping with the constitutional standards, through judicial regulations that are in line with the standards of the Venice Commission.”



    The Justice Minister has also announced he will hold talks with the General Prosecutor Augustin Lazar and with the DNA chief Laura Codruta Kovesi on the investigation regarding the government emergency decree. Minister Toader has said that, in the following two weeks, he will also analyze the activity of the General Prosecutors Office. Toader did not rule out the possibility of having the two chief prosecutors dismissed. Such decision, however, risks sparking large-scale protests again, pundits have warned.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)