The Constitutional Court has decided to discuss in its March 28 sitting 16 constitutional appeals against GEO 14/2017, the ordinance that repealed the controversial GEO 13/2017, which prompted wide street protests two years ago. If GEO 14 is declared constitutional, GEO 13, which, among others decriminalized some corruption deeds and hindered denunciations, is coming into force again.
16 appeals have been submitted against GEO 14, with the latest one being registered on June 15, 2018 and the oldest dating back on March 8, 2017.
The first appeal has been submitted in a case investigated by the anti-corruption prosecutors involving top officers within the Teleorman Inspectorate for Emergency Situations. Teleorman is the fief of PSD chairman Liviu Dragnea. Another challenge has been made by a former commune mayor.
After that, all the defendants in a DNA file targeting the former head of Braila county council, Bunea Stancu (charged with five deeds of abuse of office and conflict of interests) have challenged GEO 14 in April 2017.
Former prefect of Buzau, Maria Buleandra has challenged the ordinance also in April 2017. She was indicted by DNA in a file regarding an alleged illegal retrocession of over 5,000 ha of forest in Buzau county.
Another appeal has been filed by Eugen Pena, former Hidroelectrica manager and businessman in Teleorman, known in the local mass media as „Liviu Dragnea’s sponsor”. Pena was sentenced to 7 years in prison following a final ruling in the strategic privatisations file, where ex-economy ministry Codrut Seres was also convicted.
In October 2017, former DIICOT head Alina Bica, sentenced to prison for corruption, currently run away in Costa Rica, also challenged the GEO 14. She argued that she had benefited of the more favourable law and the abuse of office had been decriminalized if GEO 14 would not have repealed GEO 13.