DNA: It is time to voice concern over prosecutors' independence status being affected

Anti-corruption prosecutors are voicing their concern that the prosecutors' independence status might be affected.

The reaction of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) comes in the context of the decision of the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) concerning the obligation of Romania's President to issue an order removing from office the head of DNA.

"It is time to sound the alarm and voice our concern over that the independence status of prosecutors, which represents an essential premise in the fight against corruption, might be affected. Without the legal guarantees currently in place, the fight against corruption would not have been possible, and losing these guarantees risks to greatly affect the ongoing investigations carried out by the anticorruption prosecutors," a DNA press release sent to AGERPRES informs, stating that it reflects the point of view expressed by the anticorruption prosecutors.

The Constitutional Court decided Wednesday that the President of Romania is due to issue a decree to remove from office the head of the DNA, the existence of a legal conflict of a constitutional nature having been noted, generated by the refusal of the head of state to go through with the proposal of removing from office Laura Codruta Kovesi.

"The Court, by a majority of votes, has decided: 1 - It finds the existence of a legal constitutional conflict between the Minister of Justice and the President of Romania, generated by the refusal of the President of Romania to follow up on the proposal to revoke from office the Chief Prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate, Mrs Laura Codruta Kovesi; 2 - The President of Romania is to issue the decree for removing from office the Chief Prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate, Mrs Laura Codruta Kovesi," reads the CCR release. AGERPRES (RO - author: George Onea editor: Georgiana Tanasescu EN - author: Catalin Cristian Trandafir, editor: Simona Iacob)