Premium
President Klaus Iohannis on Friday signed into law a bill that makes it mandatory for administration officials to show up before parliamentary inquiry committees when asked to.
The bill regards supplementing Article 9 in Law 96/2006 on the statutes of the Romanian lawmakers.
On May 9, the Chamber of Deputies passed an amendment to its own internal regulations to include making it mandatory for administration officials to show up before parliamentary inquiry committees when asked to.
Under the new rules, the inquiry committees may summon before them anyone working with the Government or the public administration who may have knowledge of an action or circumstance that can help with finding out the truth in relation with the investigations of the committees. The summoned people shall show up before the inquiring committee doing the summoning.
In case of unjustified refusal to respond to the summons, the committee will be allowed to propose notifying the leader of the authority or institution where the summoned people work to be subjected to the internal regulations of the authority or institution in question, as it may also suggest notifying the criminal prosecution bodies over the commission of violation under Article 267 of Law 286/2009 concerning the Criminal Code, as subsequently amended and supplemented.
The summoned official may provide a written answer to the injury committee in deliverance of the information requested, or he or she may send by mail any documents or evidence that could be useful to the inquiry committee. Refusal to provide requested information or making available owned documents or evidence that could be useful to the inquiry committee may be taken as obstruction or hindrance to finding the truth, which is enough ground for criminal prosecution.
The opposition National Liberal Party (PNL) and Save Romania Union (USR) have challenged the bill with the Constitutional Court, which overruled the constitutionality objection raised by the two parties by arguing that it is natural for a summoned official to show up and become available to the inquiry committees.
