Former Prosecutor General of Romania Tiberiu Nitu was present Tuesday morning at the offices of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), where the prosecutors informed him that he is to be prosecuted for illegally taking advantage of motorcades, under the accusation of complicity to abuse of office, digi24.ro reports.
Tiberiu Nitu resigned last week after his name appeared in the file where former Interior Minister Gabriel Oprea was accused of abuse of office for allegedly benefiting from official motorcades without being entitled to. Moreover, under a protocol between institutions, he allegedly has given right to motorcades to Tiberiu Nitu, although the law provides that only the president, the prime minister and the speakers of the two chambers of parliament benefit from motorcades.
Tiberiu Nitu is charged for allegedly benefiting from about 700 trips accompanied by motorcades, from April 2014 to November 2015.
The outgoing prosecutor general says his name was ‘artificially’ associated with the motorcades file. This resulted in harm to his personal image, but also of the institution, said the magistrate.
“I have never requested an official motorcade. The level of protection is granted according to the official’s responsibilities and the effective manner to conduct it is not the attribute of the beneficiary, but of the specialized institutions. According to the law, SPP may request the assistance from other institutions, including from the Ministry of Interior, when necessary to protect the official. The protocol was signed upon the initiative of M.A.I. and the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police. I have not requested the drawing up of a protocol. I benefited from a protection and accompanying system proportional to the risk associated to the office of prosecutors general,” said Nitu when leaving DNA.