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Speaker of the Deputies' Chamber and Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Liviu Dragnea stated on Thursday that he doesn't know what is included in Senate President Calin Popescu-Tariceanu's case, but noted in this regard the existence of "some odd coincidences."
"I don't know what is in the case and I have no way of knowing it, I haven't seen other pieces of information. All I can say is that I find some odd coincidences. Just yesterday, [...] Mr Tariceanu, who was supposed to go to the ALDE [the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats] Party Congress, an important political event for the ALDE of Romania, even yesterday evening when this request popped-up. I find it to be a coincidence. Moreover, also a coincidence seems to be that it emerged in the aftermath which was ultra-announced and shouted out by the PNL [the National Liberal Party], that wants to lodge a censure motion. I no longer believe in coincidences, it's been a while since I believed in such demarches that are very close to the unfolding of some political events, strictly political and, for this reason, I personally am reserved. But, not knowing all the content of the case, for now I cannot make any other comments," Dragnea stated at the Palace of Parliament.
President of the Senate Calin Popescu-Tariceanu canceled on Thursday his official visit to Madrid, where he was to attend the ALDE European Congress (the ALDE Party Congress), according to some sources.
The ALDE Party Congress is scheduled to take place between 8 and 10 November.
The National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) argues that Senate President Calin Popescu-Tariceanu would have received indirectly, between 2007-2008, back when he was in the Prime Minister office, benefits worth approximately 800,000 US dollars from an Austrian company.
Calin Popescu-Tariceanu stated on Wednesday that the Government didn't make any payments for the Microsoft licenses during his Prime Minister tenure, mentioning that he had not received any official communication regarding the commencement of criminal prosecution in a DNA case targeting him.
After the DNA request is presented to the Standing Bureau of the Senate, it will be forwarded to the Judicial Committee, in view of issuing an opinion which will be sent to the plenary sitting, the body who is entitled to accept or reject the request.
AGERPRES .
