Justice minister reveals his proposal for the anti-corruption head

Prosecutor Adina Florea is the proposal advanced by the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader for the position of chief prosecutor of the National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA), Justice Ministry has announced on Thursday after the interviews with all six candidates.

Adina Florea comes from the Prosecutor’s Office upon Constanta Court of Appeal and she is the one who asked for the re-opening of the file where former Constanta mayor Radu Mazare had been investigated for wearing an uniform with Nazi markings.

Adin Florea had five other contenders for the DNA top position: Paula Nicoleta Tanase, Nicolae Lupulescu, Gabriela Scutea, Andrei Bodean and Sorin Armeanu.

According to the procedures, the proposal of the Justice Minister will be submitted to the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) for an opinion. The CSM opinion is consultative. Then the proposal will reach the Presidency for appointment. By the law, the President can turn down the candidate for DNA top office only once.

„Following the selection procedure taking place during August 6-September 4 at the Justice Ministry’s HQ, we inform you that the proposal of Justice minister Tudorel Toader for the position of the chief prosecutor of the National anti-corruption Directorate is Mrs. Adina Florea. This proposal is to be sent to the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) for an opinion and subsequently to Romania’s President, Mr. Klaus Iohannis, for the nomination,” reads the ministry’s press release.

After her nomination, prosecutor Adina Florea said she is honored and excited for being chosen to lead DNA, voicing hope the Prosecutors section of CSM will trust her. „I hope the Prosecutors section will have confidence in the choice made by the minister,” she says.

Asked about her plans for the future, she replied it’s too early to get into details, asking journalists to check the management project she had filed for her candidature.

Florea wrote in the management project that the DNA had conducted an outlaw investigation activity in the past years, and that the confidence in the institution had been diminished because „the former DNA chief prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi had broken principles”.

She also pointed out in her project that she had identified certain side-slips in the DNA activity in the past years, that she would solve by observing the the law and the Constitution. Prosecutor Adina Florea mentions in the document in the references chapter, two works written by minister Toader (the report on the DNA managerial activity), but also some orders signed by the minister.

Anti-corruption case against Florea?

Lumeajustitiei.ro, an website close to the ruling power, is though claiming that two of the candidates running for the DNA’s helm, Adina Florea included, would have a file opened at DNA.

At the same time, DC News also reports that a police officer from Tulcea has launched several accusations against the two candidates, Adina Florea and Andrei Bodean. The policeman accused Florea of influence peddling, forgery, abuse of office and of being part of a criminal organized group.

In a retort to the above mentioned news website, DNA confirms that it is investigating the policeman’s complaint, adding it is a an in rem criminal prosecution file, opened against the deed and not against any person.

In her turn, Adina Florea told Digi 24 that she doesn’t know of any file opened against her at DNA, but she did not rule out this possibility of an in rem investigation.