RO reformist party USR calls on President and EC to stop bill on special prosecution body SIIJ

Romanian reformist party USR approached president Klaus Iohannis with a letter requesting him to return the draft law that abolishes the special prosecution body (SIIJ) to lawmakers, for further debates, daily Bursareported.

USR claims that the bill breaches the recommendations of the Venice Commission, released in a preliminary form on March 9.

At the same time, MEP Ramona Strugariu (USR) urged the European Commission to intervene and prevent the bill that, in her view, would generate an infringement procedure against Romania, according to G4media.

The controversial bill, drafted by the Ministry of Justice, promoted by the Government and endorsed by the Parliament, was cleared by the Constitutional Court.

President Klaus Iohannis is supposed to promulgate it or send it back to lawmakers.

In brief, USR argues against the bill on the grounds that, instead of abolishing SIIJ and allowing only the Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) to deal with the corruption cases, it assigns a body of prosecutors that would deal with the cases involving magistrates.

The Venice Commission indeed recommends keeping DNA as the sole body dealing with corruption cases 9including those involving magistrates), but it leaves the door open for other models.

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