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Southeast Europe
February 16, 2018 www.intellinews.com I Page 15
Pressure mounts on Romania’s DNA
Iulian Ernst in Bucharest
Romania’s Social Democrat-led government is ramping up its campaign against the country’s National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA), which it accuses of using illegal methods in a partisan offensive against politicians.
Ruling party leaders Liviu Dragnea and Calin Popescu Tariceanu are increasingly advocating for the replacement of head Laura Codruta Kovesi with a more pliant candidate. But the decision has to be endorsed by President Klaus Iohannis, and therefore such a request will be submitted only
at a time when the credibility of the DNA as an institution and Kovesi as its head is low enough.
Tension is rising as more evidence has been leaked to friendly media, apparently supporting reports of misdeeds by DNA prosecutors. There is a growing scandal surrounding the actions of prosecutors at the DNA’s regional Ploiesti office, where they have been accused of fabricating evidence in a high-profile case against fugitive businessman Sebastian Ghita.
Speaking of his forthcoming evaluation of DNA activity, Romania’s Justice Minister Tudorel Toader said in an interview earlier this month that “the good deeds [done by the DNA] do not justify the misdeeds”. Meanwhile, Dragnea, speaking of the most recent scandal involving DNA prosecutors, said that “increasingly more evidence of the parallel [illegitimate] state” surface.
Toader has deferred until next week delivering his evaluation on the situation at the DNA. Toader claimed at a press conference after the government meeting that there is no political pressure on his ministry to produce a negative evaluation report. However, he has repeatedly criticised the DNA in previous statements and the report is not expected to be positive.
A press conference held by Kovesi on February 14 failed to fully clarify the situation at Ploiesti, though she said that procedures are being followed and any misdeed will be addressed.
President Klaus Iohannis, who has the final word if the ruling coalition decides to go ahead with replac- ing Kovesi, held a press conference on February 15, where he took a rather neutral stance. He did, however, defend the activity of the anti-corruption directorate and spoke of “some criminals” who are desperately attempting to undermine the credibility of the DNA and its leadership.
Iohannis confirmed that he met Dragnea and Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, but he explained that the meeting was scheduled in advance (therefore was not necessarily related to the scandal at the DNA). Regarding the replacement of Kovesi, he said that “at this moment” he is not aware of any grounds that would justify such a decision, but he left the door open ahead of the report promised by Toader.