The prosecutors’ association ‘Initiative for Justice’ has requested President Klaus Iohannis to attend the plenary sitting of the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) on Tuesday, May 14, on reasons related to the contest for the Judicial Inspectorate’s top position.
CSM is also to decide on Tuesday on the organization of the contest for the top position of the Special Section for Offenses in the Judiciary (SIIJ – section for investigating magistrates, our note), ziare.com reports.
The association argues the procedure to appoint the Judicial Inspectorate chief has been vitiated by CSM chief Lia Savonea (photo) and by CSM members Evelina Oprina and Victor Alistar – “in the sense of favouring the sole candidate Netejoru Lucian, former Chief-Inspector of the Judicial Inspectorate and currently Interim Chief-Inspector, following the GEO no.77/2018”.
It further claims the three CSM members have changed the contest’s procedure without being entitled to do it.
CSM is to initiate the contest for the SIIJ top position, given that the chief, Gheorghe Stan, has been appointed by the Chamber of Deputies to the Constitutional Court for a 9-year term. Gheorghe Stan will take over the CCR mandate on June 15 and, if the new SIIJ chief is not appointed by then, the interim leadership will be taken over by Adina Florea, the current deputy Chief Prosecutor, realitatea.net informs.
The SIIJ was set up following the amendments to the laws of justice in 2018 and has become operational following GEO 90/2018. Gheorghe Stan was appointed as head in January, after a contest organized by CSM. During Stan’s term, SIIJ has started criminal investigations in two files on former DNA Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi.
By the law, the SIIJ chief is appointed by the CSM plenary, following a contest supervised by three CSM members of the Judges’ section and by one member of the Prosecutors’ section.
Lucian Netejoru is accused by several magistrates and by the political opposition that he serves the PSD interests.