RO Govt. endorses draft bill dismantling controversial special prosecution body SIIJ

The Romanian Government on February 14 approved the draft law on the abolition of the special prosecution body SIIJ (Judicial Crimes Investigation Section), the powers of which will be taken over by the regular prosecutor's offices, government spokesman Dan Cărbunaru announced.

"Some of the main regulations: the powers of the SIIJ will be taken over by the ordinary Prosecutor's Offices, these cases will be investigated by specifically appointed prosecutors," he explained, quoted by Digi24.

Starting with the date of the dissolution of the Section, the prosecutors within it, including those with management positions, return to the Prosecutor's Offices where they come from or to the Prosecutor's Offices where they were promoted under the law during the activity within the Section, Cărbunaru added.

According to him, the powers of the SIIJ will be taken over by the Criminal Investigation and Forensic Section of the Prosecutor's Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice for crimes committed by judges and prosecutors who are members of the Superior Council of Magistracy, by judges of the High Court of Cassation and Justice and prosecutors from the Prosecutor's Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, judges from the Courts of Appeal and the Military Court of Appeal, as well as prosecutors from the Prosecutor's Offices attached to these courts.

The cases currently being investigated at the level of this Section shall be transferred, within 60 working days from the date of entry into force of the law, by the Prosecutor's Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, to the competent Prosecutor's Offices that will continue the investigations.

The settled cases, found in the archives of the Section, will be sent within 180 working days from the date of entry into force of the law.

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