Romania's former justice minister comes up with new limit for abuse of office

Romanian Social Democrat MP Florin Iordache, the former justice minister, thinks that the Government should keep the RON 200,000 (EUR 44,000) threshold he proposed in January for incriminating abuse of office or even increase it to RON 400,000 (EUR 88,000). Setting such a threshold would mean that public officials who abuse the powers given by their positions but don’t cause damages over this limit would not face criminal charges anymore. Florin Iordache first proposed the RON 200,000 limit for abuse of office in an emergency ordinance the Sorin Grindeanu cabinet adopted at the end of January. The ordinance triggered the biggest street protests Romania has seen in 25 years and many reactions from Romania’s international partners, who were worried that this would weaken the country’s fight against corruption. The Government repealed the ordinance under the street’s pressure and Iordache resigned. The new justice minister, Tudorel Toader, said he would not set a threshold for abuse of office in a law draft that the Government should send to the Parliament. The limit for incriminating abuse of office returned into public debate this week after Romania’s Constitutional Court said on Tuesday that the Parliament should set such a limit. The Constitutional Court’s ruling was related to a case in which PSD leader Liviu Dragnea’s former wife, Bombinica Prodana, is charged with abuse of office. Dragnea himself stands trial for complicity to abuse of office in the same case. Florin Iordache said on Thursday that the limit should be high enough to prevent prosecutors from investigating criminal cases for nothing. He added that the Government should pass this change to the Criminal Code by emergency ordinance because Romania can’t afford to keep this situation anymore. However, PM Sorin Grindeanu said that the threshold will be included in the law draft to be sent to the Parliament and the MPs will have the final say on it. editor@romania-insider.com