Statements on the Independence of the Judiciary

Chief anti-corruption prosecutor Kovesi denies PMs allegations of political pressure behind his lawsuit.

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Corina Cristea, 25.09.2015, 13:33

Sent to court for forgery of private documents, accessory to tax evasion and money laundering in a case involving legal assistance contracts signed by the Turceni and Rovinari power companies in the south, the Social Democrat PM Victor Ponta continues to claim his innocence and to deny both the charges, and the Oppositions and President Iohannis calls for his resignation.

The disputes on the topic are far from being over. As long as Ponta remains the head of the government, the state might stand to lose, said the chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi, in a talk show on a private TV channel. Kovesi explained that in the lawsuit against the PM, the Oltenia Power Company does not take part as a plaintiff because it is under the authority of the government, and implicitly of the PM.

Laura Codruta Kovesi: “This is not the first case in which a public institution is headed by the same person that is sent to court as a defendant, and we have this problem, that the public institution in question will not bring civil action against that person. Magistrates, for instance, get suspended from office when they are sent to court, and I think the same rule ought to apply to the other civil servants in public institutions, because in such cases where the state does bring civil action against a person, it is obviously the state that will incur losses.

On the other hand, the chief anti-corruption prosecutor denied the Prime Ministers claims that his indictment was the result of political interference. In a separate statement to another television station, Victor Ponta hinted that President Klaus Iohannis was behind this decision:

Victor Ponta: “Im wondering whether the President resorted to all this pressure to have me indicted, because I think the statements he has made are not suitable for a president of Romania. If he says he is happy with be being sent to court, then perhaps he has his reasons.

The President had previously stated that the passing of the no-confidence motion tabled by the Liberals in Opposition would solve a major problem that Romania is facing, namely having a prime minister who is facing criminal charges. The Presidents chief of staff, Dan Mihalache, was also quick to reply to the Prime Ministers allegations: “The Presidency will not get into this kind of low-level squabble, because we have work to do. If Mr. Ponta has doubts regarding the independence of the judiciary, he may report them to the Judicial Control Corps, Mihalache said.