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President Klaus Iohannis requests the Section for investigating crimes in Justice to quickly clarify the situation regarding the case opened on the name of former prosecutor-in-chief of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) Laura Codruta Kovesi.
"The first priority of all those having responsibilities in the Romanian state, regardless of the offices that they have, should be the protection and strengthening of the rule of law. I request the Section for investigating crimes in Justice maximum fairness, the strict observance of the law and the rapid clarification of the situation regarding the case opened on the name of Mrs Laura Codruta Kovesi, with the leadership of this section bearing a huge responsibility in this respect," a Presidential Administration release sent on Thursday informs.
The head of state underscored that the Special Section for Magistrates' Investigation shouldn't be in any way a political tool for investigating and intimidating magistrates and prosecutors. He brings to mind that he challenged this body ever since its establishment, which was severely criticised by the Venice Commission, the European Commission (EC) and the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO), because it doesn't present enough guarantees of independence in relation to the political factor and it can affect the citizens' confidence in Justice.
"The PSD-ALDE [the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats] majority willingly ignored all these warnings, therefore, this special section is currently functioning. The same majority, through a series of harmful amendments to the Justice Laws is directly responsible for generating the existing conflict among magistrates. The PSD-ALDE built, ever since the beginning, an anti-justice speech and carried out concrete demarches to dismiss the prosecutor-in chief of the DNA from office and Romania's Prosecutor General, more recently, the President of the High Court of Cassation and Justice, denouncing pressures and interferences. I warn the PSD-ALDE majority to stop making other steps backwards which draw Romania away from its European journey as a strengthened democratic state. It's imperative that the PSD-ALDE promptly implement the views of the Venice Commission and the recommendations included in the European Commission Report regarding the Co-operation and Verification Mechanism [CVM], so that the independence of justice and the fight against corruption should not be affected and the democratic foundation of the Romanian state should not be endangered," Iohannis added.
He pointed out that the fight against corruption will continue in Romania, despite all "the aggressive efforts of those who want to take control over justice and kneel down the rule of law."
"As President, I will further act for maintaining the status which Romania earned with great sacrifices, a country where the institutions are strong, but they are powerful by correctly enforcing the law, not through abuses," the head of state concluded.
