Justice Minister Tudorel Toader says the ministry has drawn up the draft bill on amending the criminal code and the criminal procedure code in accordance with the Constitutional Court rulings.
In a press conference Wednesday morning Toader said “the amendments aim only to set the codes in accordance with the CCR rulings, nothing more, nothing less,” hotnews.ro informs. He added “the draft bill on transposing the European directive on extensive confiscation (of wealth obtained by criminal deeds – our note) has been completed. The deadline has long expired, we risk sanctions and we’ve drawn up this draft law with priority.”
Referring to abuse of office, Justice Minister Tudorel Toader said “I will support the draft bill without a threshold, the CCR decision says nothing about a threshold. The draft bill will be open for public debate and for parliamentary procedure, the parliament can bring amendments in the limit of constitutional competence.”
Minister Toader also said the ministry will continue to draw up draft bills for the legal framework, in accordance with the CCR rulings to uphold or reject certain issues.
In regard to the external audit at the Prosecutor’s Office, the National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA) and the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), Minister Toader said such an evaluation has not been done in more than ten years and every institution should face audit sometime.
Minister Toader rejects PSD’s Dragnea criticism
Asked about the criticism coming from PSD leader Liviu Dragnea, the justice minister said: “He has the perspective of looking into the future, I have the perspective to look into his past.”
The draft bill amending the law on abuse of office, as shown above, will not have a threshold, the minister said. “When the draft law will reach the two chambers of parliament, then former minister Florin Iordache (newly appointed Chamber of Deputies deputy speaker – our note), having experience as lawmaker and as minister, may bring changes according to constitutional competences,” Tudorel Toader said.
Rejecting criticism, Minister Toader said he sees no reason to answer to Liviu Dragnea and PM Sorin Grindeanu. “If requested, I will answer, but not through the media. If I am invited (by the ruling coalition) I will attend the meeting. I will not go to bring justifications, but to explain the report and the conclusions (on the activity of DNA and the Prosecutor’s Office – our note),” Tudorel Toader said.