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The National Liberal Party (PNL) and Save Romania Union (USR) representatives in the special parliamentary committee for the amendment of the justice laws package maintained on Thursday that "the disruption of the judicial system" is being pursued and provided the example of an amendment regarding the setting up of the Directorate for the Investigation of Criminal Offenses of Judges and Prosecutors within the General Prosecutor's Office.
"My impression is that a clear attempt to disrupt the judicial system is being made. I saw today some texts clearly taking over from DNA's [the National Anti-corruption Directorate - ed.n.] competency, important attributions, in order to transfer them to a planned directorate at the level of the General Prosecutor's Office. On the other hand, what is twice as worrisome is that not even this hypothesis does its job well - the texts they received from UNJR [Romania's National Judges Union - ed.n.] were simply dismantled from a technical point of view by the representatives of the Public Service Ministry, so we had some texts which were not well enough thought through and prepared, discussed. At the same time, I would like to underscore that without correlating all these provisions, great disruptions will occur in the functioning of the judicial system. I wouldn't want that, after the completion of this fast-forward process we notice that the architecture of the judicial system has been fumbled with as if a child were playing with a match in a gun powder warehouse, because there are fine mechanisms which, once disrupted can lead to mass consequences," Catalin Predoiu, former Justice Minister in the gov't's of Calin Popescu-Tariceanu and Emil Boc stated in Parliament.
USR deputy Stelian Ion also affirmed that DNA stands to lose part of its attributions.
"There is nothing new, nothing spectacular as compared to what I have noticed in the last sessions. The same line is being pursued, DNA is being demonised, attributions are taken away from it, I have noticed a big issue regarding a proposal to set up a new directorate, not a crime investigation department, they have renamed this department, only that no concrete proposals were made so as to render operational such an organism, such a department. The proposal was made, but it is expected from the participants in the debate to improve the texts they have picked upon the move from UNJR. UNJR is not representative for the entire magistrates' profession, the magistrates have already expressed their points of view on the matter," the USR deputy argued at the end of the committee's meeting.
He also criticised the fact that good part of the committee's Thursday meeting took place without quorum and announced that USR will request the recordings to prove this.
"These are amendments which eventually disrupt the judicial system. It is unlikely that the texts already amended be reconsidered next week. The Senate is expected to improve them - this manner to release an improvised law. (...) The removal of the principle of the prosecutor's independence is still being pursued, important attributions are being taken away from DNA, we therefore consider them disruptions. By establishing a special department within the General Prosecutor's Office without any clear regulations to render this directorate operational, this judicial system is being disrupted," Stelian Ion added.
The special parliamentary committee decided on Thursday the setting up of a Directorate for the Investigation of Criminal Offenses of Judges and Prosecutors within the General Prosecutor's Office.
AGERPRES .
