The members of the Prosecutors Section within the Superior Council of Magistracy has given a negative opinion to the Justice Minister’s proposal for the National Anti-corruption Directorate’s top position, Constanta-based prosecutor Adina Florea, the institutions’ press release says.
According to sources within CSM, the vote has been 6 to 1 against Florea.
„In the October 8 sitting, the section for prosecutors within CSM, by majority, has given negative opinion to the Justice minister’s proposal to appoint Mrs. Adina Florea in the position of chief prosecutor of the National Anti-corruption Directorate,” reads the Council’s press release.
The CSM’s opinion is advisory. It will be reasoned and sent to the Justice Ministry.
Adina Florea, prosecutor at the Constanta Prosecutor’s Office, has been heard by the CSM for three hours on Monday. During the hearing, Florea has slammed the measures taken by the previous anti-corruption leadership, arguing that „some anti-corruption VIP prosecutors have been put ahead”, also criticizing the fact that the number of acquittals in the DNA files had been high.
Florea has also slammed the general activity of the National Anti-corruption Directorate, saying that prosecutors had been too much focused on the abuse of service crime, given that the DNA’s object should be high level corruption cases.
As for the secret protocol between the General Prosecutor’s Office and the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) concluded in 2016, allegedly leaked from the Prosecutor’s Office upon the Court of Appeal in Constanta, where Florea comes from, she mentioned that the Prosecutor General had been misinformed and that the prosecutors upon the Constanta Court of Appeal had not processed the protocol, but an address of the protocol.
In retort, Prosecutor General Augustin Lazar asked Florea to say if she had ever felt affected by these secret protocols and if she had not been able to solve some files due to these protocols. „Have you aver felt compelled to do something illegal? Have you ever felt the need to know what this protocol contains and you could not solved the files”,” Lazar asked.
On the other hand, Florea refused to voice her opinion regarding the justice laws’ amendment, saying her comments would be „hazardous”and that she would rather wait for these amendments to be operated.