Justice minister disputes shortlisting of Romanian for top EU prosecutor position

Justice minister Tudorel Toader plans to let EU justice ministers know about the former chief prosecutor of Romania’s National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) Laura Codruta Kovesi’s “abuses.” Toader’s reaction comes after Kovesi was ranked first in the selection procedure for the position of chief prosecutor of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO). “I think the members of the selection commission do not know the abuses committed by Laura Codruţa Kovesi to the detriment of the citizens, of the rule of law. In France or in Germany, a prosecutor would not have been able to commit so many abuses because they would have been dismissed from the judicial system,” Toader told stiripesurse.ro. He plans to send the Constitutional Court’s (CCR) decision based on which Kovesi was dismissed to every justice minister in the EU, ahead of the Justice and Home Affairs informal council. Kovesi headed the National Anticorruption Directorate for 5 years, from 2013 until July 2018, when president Klaus Iohannis signed her dismissal after the Constitutional Court compelled him to do so. The procedure to dismiss her was started by minister Tudorel Toader. During her mandate at DNA’s helm, the institution recorded an unprecedented string of high-profile corruption cases, targeting former prime ministers, ministers, MPs and other top politicians, winning international praise. In December of last year, Kovesi appealed her dismissal at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Romanian is favorite to lead European Public Prosecutor’s Office (Photo: Inquam Photos : Octav Ganea) editor@romania-insider.com