Iohannis on allegedly pressuring constitutional judge: Putting pressure on a judge would be fundamentally wrong

President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday, about allegation by magistrate Petre Lazaroiu that he does not put pressure on any judge, adding "that would be fundamentally wrong."

Asked by journalists to comment on allegations that Lazaroiu would have been summoned by presidential adviser Simina Tanasescu who reportedly informed him that Iohannis is urged by an association to issue a decree to remove him from office, Iohannis said: "I know there was discussion, I know that a press statement was released, and I know that the statement contains all that has to be said, because I read it before it was given to you; that was a discussion, but I was very surprised by how some have interpreted the discussion as allegedly pressure from the President. There is no pressure, and I do not put pressure on any judge; that would be fundamentally wrong, and I know what Mrs Tanasescu talked about: there was no pressure whatsoever."

Iohannis said that there had been a distortion for political reasons. "The whole matter was distorted for purely political reasons, I have no idea why Judge Lazaroiu is playing such game," he added.

Asked by the media if Tanasescu had informed him before discussing with Lazaroiu, Iohannis said that Tansescu told him that there was a complaint from an NGO and asked if he would allow her to tell Lazaroiu about it.

"It was a public complaint registered with us, and it seemed to me that it is right at least for the person who is the subject of a complaint to know that, without that being interpreted as pressure or as an inappropriate initiative," Iohannis said.

Asked by journalists if he will issue a decree to remove Lazaroiu from the Constitutional Court (CCR), Iohannis said that he had decided nothing in that respect, and that the discussion between Lazaroiu and Tanasescu was a theoretical one between two specialists, and it is not a question of him issuing a decree of removal.

"It was nothing like that; it was a theoretical discussion between two specialists, and I decided absolutely nothing in that respect," added Iohannis.

CCR judge Petre Lazaroiu told AGERPRES on Friday that he was summoned by one of President Klaus Iohannis' advisers, who told them that the head of state is urged by an association to issue a decree removing him from office.

The Presidential Administration said in a press statement that Simina Tanasescu had a technical discussion, without the involvement of the President of Romania, with judge Petre Lazaroiu about the request of NGO VeDem Just, underlining that any speculation or insinuation regarding any pressure exerted on the magistrate is completely untrue and unfounded.