His wealth is also under scrutiny.
Although Liberal Senators contributed to the defending action around senator Varujan Vosganian on Wednesday, by voting down the prosecution request in his involvement in Transgaz case, on Friday party leaders slammed this move, asking for Vosganian’ s resignation from the National Liberal Party.
A few hours later after the Liberal leadership voiced discontent, Varujan Vosganian announced he is resigning. “As a friendly reply to your requests, please, receive my resignation from the new PNL,” Vosganian wrote on his personal blog.
President Klaus Iohannis, who promptly criticized the vote while in Brussels, on Friday asked again “less difficult and more transparent” procedures for the prosecutors’ requests of MPs arrest, search or criminal prosecution.
“I am renewing the appeal to our political class to understand that a Parliament which tolerates corruption and corrupt persons will never enjoy the citizens’ trust and respect,” President Iohannis posted on Facebook.
In her turn, PNL co-president Alina Gorghiu sent a letter to the Liberal senators, informing them she asked Varujan Vosganian to resign from the party, or else she would submit his ousting. Gorghiu mentions in the letter that the vote against Vosganian’s prosecution cannot stay without consequences, adding it is difficult for her to accept “the wrong path” chosen by some of PNL senators.
Other Liberal local and central leaders rallied to Gorghiu’s view, considering that the party’s image is affected by this vote. Some of them think Vosganian damaged the party’s image and his resignation would be most welcomed.
“If I were in Mr. Vosganian’s place, I would quit PNL,” the leader of PNL Sibiu branch, Raluca Turcan said.
“I think Varujan Vosganian should suspend himself from the party considering the benefit of the doubt (…) In my view, nobody shouldn’t have immunity,” president of PNL Timis, Nicolae Robu also opined.
Other party members tried to explain the real meaning of the vote.
“I have an explanation for the Thursday’s vote in Senate regarding Varujan Vosganian. The Senate also ruled in this case a year and a half ago and decided there are no convincing evidence. Now, the prosecutors tabled the same rules of evidence and the same charges, so nothing new. Hence the Senate’s counteraction,” Marius Nicoara, PNL Cluj leader told Mediafax.
In retort, Romanian’s Prosecutor General, Tiberiu Nitu told Agerpes on Friday that he is surprised by the Senate’s dismissal vote and added that it can be considered a sign of mistrust in the legal power, which would be intolerable for a rule of law EU country. He also reminded that the last Cooperation and Verification Mechanism report precisely slammed the Parliament’ s filibustering criminal investigations.
“Thus, article 16 from the Constitution, meaning ‘Nobody is above the law’ is seriously tamed,” Nitu concluded.
At the same time, the National Integrity Agency informed on Saturday it would check Vosganian’s wealth, suspecting the senator did not mention in his wealth statement certain sums of money, as well as an older loan.