Liviu Dragnea’s ex-wife referral on abuse of office rejected. CCR recommends Parliament to decide on the threshold for damages. JusMin to propose one

The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) has rejected on Tuesday the objection of unconstitutionality raised by Bombonica Prodana, former wife of PSD leader Liviu Dragnea, regarding the lack of a threshold for damages regarding the abuse of office, stating that it is not its duty to decide, recommending Parliament to set such a threshold, sources say.

The CCR discussed on Tuesday the objection of unconstitutionality regarding the lack of a threshold on damages following the abuse of office raised by Bombonica Prodana, the former wife of PSD leader Liviu Dragnea, in the file in which he is tried for instigating to abuse of office.

In retort, Justice Minister Tudorel Toader stated on Tuesday after the CCR ruling that he would propose a threshold on damages for abuse of office. “The content of the abuse of office crime is to be reconfigured by establishing a threshold on damages”, he said.

The Supreme Court decided on March 28 to notify the Constitutional Court on the abuse of office charges 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 charge of abuse of office. 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, requested the notification of the Constitutional Court.

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