The Supreme Court on Tuesday decided to notify the Constitutional Court over the abuse of office charge in Liviu Dragnea’s file. Dragnea’s former wife filed the appeal. Bombonica Prodana and her former husband Liviu Dragnea, PSD chairman, are investigated for abuse of office in a case targeting fictitious hiring at the Social Assistance Direction in Teleorman County. Dragnea is accused of arranging that some members of the Teleorman PSD branch should be hired at the county Social Assistance Direction, without actually working there.
Dragnea’s former wife, Bombonica Prodana, invoked a constitutional challenge related to the lack of a prejudice limit for the abuse of office charge. Her lawyer argued in court that the prejudice in his client’s case is less than EUR 50,000 and would not fall under criminal incidence. Based on that, the lawyers of all defendants in this case, including Dragnea’s, asked for the Constitutional Court’s notification.
This could be the first step for Dragnea and the rest of the defendants in this case to get rid of the abuse of office charge.
“I asked my lawyer about the notification endorsed by all defenders and he told me is common law: when a lawyer supports the CCR notification, all do. What I notice is that the abuse of office keeps being Romania’s biggest issue,” Dragnea said after the court hearing.
The court ordered that prosecutors should file definitions regarding the CCR decision for each defendant. The next hearing was set on April 25.
During the previous hearing in mid-February, Liviu Dragnea insisted that he is innocent, although three co-defendants, members of the Social Democrat Party, admitted they are guilty of charges. The three will benefit of a simplified procedure in the trial. In retort, Dragnea says the file is based on “three false statements”.
Nicusor Gheorghe, former head of the Administrative and Technical Service, Adriana Botorogeanu and Anisa Stoica, former public servants at the Child Welfare and Protection Service Teleorman, admitted the charges against them and asked for a simplified procedure, meaning they eye milder sentences.
On the other side, Liviu Dragnea, his former wife, Bombonica Prodana and other defendants claimed their innocence and challenged the evidence, asking for their re-administration.
“I understood the charges and there is no need for further explanations. I understand to use my right of silence. I won’t ask for the simplified procedure because I consider myself innocent,” Dragnea told the judges.
While leaving the court, the PSD chairman argued that the fact that three defendants admitted their guilt doesn’t change at all his attitude.
“It’s their problem (that they admitted charges and asked for the simplified procedure), that doesn’t change at all my attitude or the truth. This file is based on three false statements. I will bring three witnesses,” Dragnea said at the end of the hearing.
Liviu Dragnea was indicted by anti-corruption prosecutors on July 15, for instigation to abuse of office and instigation to forgery, for facts committed while he was leader of the Teleorman County Council.