The interim president of the Romanian reformist party USR, Cătălin Drulă, criticized in harsh terms the draft law passed by the Government and already approved by the deputies for the abolishment of the special prosecution body SIIJ supposed to deal with the crimes of the magistrates.

He accused the ruling coalition of "throwing justice back in the [Liviu] Drangea era."

USR argues that the SIIJ is actually not dismantled - but transformed into a different structure, dispersed throughout the country - but still preventing the Anticorruption Prosecution Directorate (DNA) and the specialized body dealing with the organized crime DIICOT from dealing with corruption crimes of magistrates.

USR's Drulă pointed to president Klaus Iohannis for the new law.

"Now Klaus Iohannis is probably happy. The plan that started with the dismissal of Laura Codruța Kovesi from the DNA leadership is coming to an end. Iohannis becomes the gravedigger of justice in Romania," Drulă wrote in a Facebook post, quoted by G4media.ro.

The bill on the abolition of SIIJ must also pass the vote of the Senate for the law to enter into force.

The draft law proposed by the Ministry of Justice, led by Cătălin Predoiu, stipulates that the crimes committed by magistrates will be investigated by specifically appointed prosecutors at the proposal of the General Prosecutor's Office and selected by the magistrates' body CSM.

(Photo: Shutterstock)

andrei@romania-insider.com