Justice and Anticorruption

The Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos presented to the ambassadors of the EU member states the priorities of his government.

România Internațional, 03.02.2016, 13:29

The Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos on Tuesday told the EU ambassadors to Bucharest that the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism in the justice field should be replaced by an internal system, reiterating that Romania continues to be an important candidate to Schengen accession. The Romanian official also talked, among other things, about the three big priorities of the Government, the economy, the reform of the administration and preparing Romania for being able to ensure the rotating presidency of the EU in 2019.

On the same day, President Klaus Iohannis, said, at the ceremony of investing the graduates of the National Institute of Magistracy, that last year Romania took important steps in the field of the judiciary and showed that magistrates had an essential role in fighting corruption. Iohannis underlined that guaranteeing the independence of the judiciary and consolidating the rule of law are the priorities of his term in office. The Romanian president reminded the young judges and prosecutors that they had to do their job in full honesty and fairness. Klaus Iohannis:

“Justice is being done in the name of the law, justice is unbiased and the same for everybody. I think that people have higher expectations from magistrates, from the whole judicial authority. It is your role and duty to apply the law in a fair manner, and this will contribute to making people regain trust in the power of the law”.

The statements have been made in a troubled period for the judiciary, when top-level politicians have been arrested or investigated. The Senate’s legal committee has approved the National Anti-Corruption Directorate’s request to prosecute senator Gabriel Oprea, a former interior minister, in a case related to the provision of illegal motorcade by the Romanian Police, a case in which a young policeman died. Gabriel Oprea claims he is not guilty and that he has done nothing different from other ministers.

In exchange, Romania’s prosecutor general, Tiberiu Nitu, resigned against the backdrop of the investigation into the abusive use of official motorcade. The law provides that only the president, the prime minister and the speakers of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate are entitled to an official motorcade and ministers can use the motorcade only in emergency situations.

Tiberiu Nitu explained that establishing the level of protection of an official is not his attribute, but that of the state’s specialized institutions, which is why he does not consider that he broke the law when he benefited from protection services and an official motorcade. Although he claims he is not guilty, Romania’s former prosecutor general pointed out he decided to resign, since his name and position have been indirectly linked to a situation that mars the image of the institution he headed. Tiberiu Nitu’s mandate was to come to an end in May 2016.

(Translated by L. Simion)