Prosecutor Kovesi on Senate’s denying senator’s prosecution: Political vote stymieing justice, keeping a mother waiting

Prosecutor Kovesi on Senate’s denying senator’s prosecution: Political vote stymieing justice, keeping a mother waiting

Chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) Laura Codruta Kovesi says that the Senate’s vote to deny the start of a criminal investigation of Senator Gabriel Oprea, a former interior minister, have rendered prosecutors unable to establish Oprea’s criminal liability in the death of a police agent, thus keeping the agent’s mother waiting for justice.

“This is a political vote stymieing justice. The vote has rendered DNA unable to establish Oprea’s criminal liability for a suspicion of culpable homicide. That means a mother is kept waiting,” Kovesi said Wednesday upon arriving at the Supreme Council of Magistrates (CSM).

She added that similar precedents had occurred, mentioning to the point the case of former Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean.

“There have been precedents. I want you to remember the case in which former Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean was implicated: thousands of voters could not vote [in the 2014 presidential election]. We opened an investigation, but political vote again stymied it, a reason why we cannot gather evidence to find out what happened,” added Kovesi.

She said she came to CSM in support of a DNA prosecutor in a disciplinary meeting.

“I’ve come today just to support our colleague in a disciplinary meeting related to a case in which former Interior Minister Oprea, former Interior Minister Petre Toba and a former head of the Interior Ministry’s Intelligence and Internal Protection Department were investigated. I’ve come for her defence,” said Kovesi. More…