Romania's chief antigraft prosecutor answers to Superior Magistracy Council

The Superior Magistracy Council – CSM’s prosecutor section will discuss on Tuesday, at 14:00, the justice minister’s request for revoking the chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) Laura Codruta Kovesi. Justice minister Tudorel Toader asked for Kovesi’s dismissal on Thursday evening, last week, after presenting a 36-page report comprising 20 “facts and acts” related to Kovesi’s activity in the last year. Most of them were negative. The CSM invited Kovesi to the meeting. Justice minister Tudorel Toader will also be present. This will thus be the first confrontation between them since the minister’s announcement on Thursday. The minister accused Kovesi of disregarding the Constitution and the Constitutional Court, running the DNA in an authoritarian manner and tolerating alleged misbehavior by some of her prosecutors, and of damaging Romania’s image abroad with her statements in various interviews she gave to international publications, among others. DNA announced on Friday morning that Kovesi would take part in any hearing and would answer all of the minister’s assertions. The CSM will analyze the justice minister’s request and the attached report and issue an opinion in favor or against revoking Kovesi. However, president Klaus Iohannis has the last word in this and he may decide to revoke or keep Kovesi regardless of the CSM’s opinion. Romanian SocDem leader keeps distance from DNA chief revoking scandal editor@romania-insider.com