Premium
National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA) Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi stated on Wednesday that the complexity of the methods attempting to mask criminal deeds has noticeably increased in the last years. "I believe in the last years I have noticed a complexity of methods masking the means to commit a criminal deed. As legislation changes and we impose certain rules, straightaway someone receives advice on how to avoid those rules and to commit the crime better, in clandestinity, confidentiality, so as not to get caught," Kovesi told a debate on fraud in public procurement.
She added that investigations concerning corruption deeds in various institutions have not necessarily determined a reduction of the criminal phenomenon. "I do not know whether through our investigations we have also had a preventive role within public institutions but as you referred to the Romanian Post, it is already of notoriety that there are, I think, over seven indictments that we have put together and the leaders of this company in the last years have all been involved in them. Which shows us that irrespective of the number of inquiries and investigations having been carried out in a public institution, the deeds went on. We have, as an example, a case in a ministry in which the prosecutors caught red-handed a civil servant taking bribe for awarding a contract, the colleague of the person caught participated at the time as witness in that sting operation (...) which we considered would have a preventive role, for only after a short period of time that very person to demand bribe for awarding a contract," the DNA Chief Prosecutor further said. Laura Codruta Kovesi led on Wednesday the debate on the issue of "Fraud and corruption in public procurement. From combating to prevention," organised by DNA.
