DNA’s Kovesi: Private companies are paid to intimidate and harass DNA prosecutors

The National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) chief prosecutor Laura Codruţa Kovesi offered explanations about several issues in a special edition Monday evening of the TVR News.

“So far we were used to being attacked by public statements on various topics, through postings on Facebook, through various depreciator statements. (…) Recently, I see that companies are being hired, private companies are paid large amounts of money to intimidate and harass the DNA prosecutors,” Kovesi said.

The DNA chief stressed that this is a new approach in Romania. “It’s not enough to attack the DNA prosecutors, they are too resistant, let us hire companies to harass them and try to intimidate them,” Kovesi added, referring to the Black Cube case and not only.

There was no conflict between DNA and SIE, or with any other state institutions

“I do not know why Mr. Mihai Razvan Ungureanu has resigned. I can only say that DNA was not in conflict with the Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE) or with other state institution. A few months ago I told the audience that in recent years we have not received from SIE any information about corruption. This is not a conflict, it is a reality,” Kovesi told the public television.

“By law, an intelligence service, when in possession of information about corruption is obliged to notify us about that deed. A few months ago I said it publicly – that we have not received such notifications from SIE. That was all. (…) I am still waiting to receive information from SIE because the law says so and it says that when they obtain such information they are obliged to send it to us. This should happen in order to make their duty, we don’t need any institutional relations, any meetings, protocols or other discussions. Simply, the DNA and SIE must observe the law when it comes to corruption offenses,” Laura Codruţa Kovesi said.

Oprea, a file in DNA jurisdiction

In regard to the request concerning the former Interior Minister Gabriel Oprea, the DNA chief made it clear: “The crime of abuse of office is an offense for the competence of the National Anticorruption Directorate. As such, in this file we have an offense that is for the DNA jurisdiction, which means that any other connected offense or any other offense in relation to this crime is also investigated by DNA. This is laid down in the law very clearly, so that in this file, with the offense of abuse of office, which is in DNA jurisdiction and the offense of culpable homicide, which is connected to this offense, is also in the DNA jurisdiction,” Kovesi stressed.