GEO 13 case closed down

The General Prosecutor’s Office has closed down the file probing into the adoption of the controversial emergency ordinance no.13 that triggered ample street protests this winter. The ordinance had been adopted by Grindeanu Cabinet and aimed at amending the criminal codes and decriminalizing certain corruption offenses. One of the provisions referred to settling a threshold of RON 200,000 for the abuse of office crime.

Prosecutors were investigating crimes related to favoring the offender, release of inaccurate data in bad faith, taking or destroying evidence or documents and forgery.

The file was opened by the National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA), but the Prosecutor’s Office upon the High Court of Cassation and Justice had taken over the case at the end of February. Prosecutors also dropped the charge of use of a party leader’s influence back then.

Several ministers and prosecutors were heard in this file, Interior minister Carmen Dan, minister for Relation with the Parliament Gratiela Gavrilescu, former secretary general of the Gov’t Mihai Busuioc, prosecutors Constatin Sima and Oana Haineala.

The case was give to the Prosecutor’s Office after the Constitutional Court has ruled that there is a legal conflict between DNA and the Government, arguing that DNA has broken the legal framework and that its investigation over GEO 13 was abusive.

The case was probing into alleged crimes committed by the Grindeanu Cabinet on the night of January 31 when the Gov’t had adopted the ordinance amending the criminal codes. Massive street protests have boiled over in Bucharest and other counties, with protesters asking for the ordinance’s repeal and for the Cabinet’s resignation. Subsequently the GEO 13 was repealed.