Romanian senators reject prosecutors’ request to investigate Senate president

The majority of Romanian senators shielded their president, Calin Popescu Tariceanu, against prosecutors who suspect him of corruption deeds, and the ruling coalition demonstrated once again its robustness.

Reportedly, this was the price paid by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) to their junior coalition partner, the Alliance of Liberal and Democrats (ALDE, headed by Tariceanu) in exchange for ALDE supporting their candidate at the helm of the Chamber of Deputies last week.

After seven months of delays, the Romanian Senate rejected on June 3, with 71 votes against 38, the request filed by the prosecutors of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) for approving criminal prosecution in the case of Senate president Calin Popescu Tariceanu, suspected of bribe taking, Hotnews.ro reported. Last December, the Permanent Bureau of the Senate decided on several occasions to extend the deadline for drafting the report on this request, arguing that senators needed time to study the case.

Prosecutors said that Tăriceanu indirectly received, in the period 2007 - 2008, when he was prime minister, material benefits of about USD 800,000 from an Austrian company.

(Photo source: Facebook/Calin Popescu Tariceanu)