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The fight against corruption must remain in Romania, as in any European state, an element of concern, "but for the institutions", and this fight cannot be carried out "with illegal and unconstitutional methods as has happened in our country," Senate President Calin Popescu-Tariceanu stated on Tuesday.
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"The second thing I'm asking is whether the Commission that drafted the CVM (Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, ed. n.) knew of all the serious slippages that have taken place in the judiciary in recent years, the influence of the secret protocols, the illegal practices that have been carried out in Romania at the level of DNA [National Anti-corruption Directorate, ed.n.] and other institutions in the judiciary, which should have been the concern of the Commission. We are advised not to take steps back in the fight against corruption. I strongly agree, I believe that the fight against corruption must also remain in Romania as in any European country, an element of concern, but for institutions. However the fight against corruption cannot be done with illegal and unconstitutional methods, as has happened in Romania. If the CVM takes care of the judiciary, it cannot ignore these things. We must therefore, find a solution for everything," Tariceanu explained.
He added that Romania does not want to weaken the fight against corruption, but said that this cannot be achieved by violating the fundamental rights of the citizens.
"We do not want to weaken the fight against corruption, but we cannot carry it out in breach of the fundamental rights of citizens, the right to a fair trial, so on and so forth. I think that at the Commission's level they are probably starting to realize that things do not look as simple as they seem to mention them in the official statements and we cannot ignore the fact that, in Romania, the serious slippages that have taken place are being swept under the rug and we are only talking about the situations the Commission wants to. I think we have to discuss absolutely everything, if we are in a partnership. I believe that yes, we are in a partnership and I take the good part of the comments made by the First Vice-President of the European Commission and the willingness they have to discuss at expert level all these things," said the Senate President, asked how he comments on the statement of the first Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, after the publication of the CVM Report, according to which the latter has not seen any progress made by our country.
AGERPRES .
