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Minister-delegate for European Funds Rovana Plumb said on Monday after a meeting the Social Democratic Party's National Standing Bureau (BPN) that she is innocent and has no reason to resign after the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) requested permission for her prosecution in the Belina case. "I am not guilty; I have always followed the law, and I will always do so. During my office tenure in the various positions I have held, I have always acted in good faith and in the interests of the citizens, while acting with utmost responsibility and seriousness to defend the rights of Romanians. As far as my resignation goes, I do not think that I have to step down as long as I have always thought about Romania. First of all, it is because I have not done anything wrong and I am not guilty; I have observed the law and the European funds; their absorption at this moment is vital to Romania and there must be continuity and we will proceed accordingly," said Plumb.
Asked if anyone has put pressure on her, Plumb replied: "I have never worked under pressure and I will never do, and nobody has ever asked me for anything." PSD floor leader in the Chamber of Deputies Ioan Munteanu has announced that the PSD's National Standing Bureau (BPN) has decided to support Deputy Prime Minister Sevil Shhaideh and Deputy Minister of European Funds Rovana Plumb. "They have followed the law. They have claimed their innocence and their colleagues have asked them not to step down," said Munteanu, who participated in the BPN meeting.
The decision of the PSD leadership comes after Friday chief prosecutor with the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) Laura Codruta Kovesi asked that the Chamber of Deputies be notified of a request for the criminal prosecution of Rovana Plumb, a minister of environment and climate change at the time of the commission, for complicity to abuse of office in a case that concerns Deputy Prime Minister Sevil Shhaideh, regarding the illegal switch of a part of the Belina Island and the Pavel Branch to the administration of the Teleorman County Council.
