Civil servants who are prosecuted for corruption could escape getting suspended from office, according to a draft project submitted to the Senate, which the Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader Liviu Dragnea supports.

Senators from PSD, the National Liberal Party (PNL), and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) want to amend the current law which provides that civil servants are suspended from office if they are sent to court on corruption charges, reports local Mediafax.

The senators argued that this discriminates civil servants compared to other staff working in the same public institutions, such as elected officials and public employees, who are only suspended if they are arrested. The senators also mentioned the principle of presumption of innocence.

“Until a person gets the sentence, I don’t think he needs to leave the office,” said Dragnea. “I agree with this proposal, we support it,” he added.

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editor@romania-insider.com