Update4: DNA searches Gov’t offices, seizes documents, tests for counsellor positions involved. Prosecutor’s Office notified on alleged information disclosure

National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) prosecutors conducted searches on Monday at the government offices in Piata Victoriei, seizing documents, sources quoted by hotnews.ro inform.

DNA has informed Tuesday morning that the searches targeted suspicions on crimes similar to corruption deeds committed in July 2017.

“Following the legal authorisations from the competent court, on July 31, 2017, between 15.00h-17.00h, searches were conducted in 5 locations in the offices of a public institution in Bucharest. The searches were carried out in a file belonging to the Department for Fighting Corruption, file aiming suspicions of crimes assimilated to corruption deeds committed in July 2017,” a DNA release issued on Tuesday informs.

Sources close to the investigation claim that the searches were conducted by 11 prosecutors in a file regarding the test for a public office in July, as there are suspicions that one candidate had been informed about the topics. Reportedly the candidate was Iulia Teodorescu, counsellor with the Government Secretariat General (SGG), former spokesperson for the Department for Parliament Liaison in Dacian Ciolos cabinet and former journalist.

According to judicial sources, the DNA searches were conducted at the Ministry for Parliament Liaison, which has its offices in the government building and that documents have been requested from the SGG.

Monday evening the media reported that searches were conducted at the SGG, managed by Mihai Busuioc, reappointed when the Mihai Tudose cabinet took over, although being dismissed by former PM Sorin Grindeanu.

According to Realitatea TV, reportedly several persons have been summoned to the DNA in the coming days.

Ministry for Parliament Liaison confirms tests for public offices hiring

Victoria Palace explains, in a press release on Tuesday, that the DNA prosecutors have carried out searches on Monday at the Government offices. The operation lasted four hours and involved the hearing of several people.

A release reads that “on Monday, July 31, several prosecutors and judiciary police officers with DNA Bucharest conducted searches on the basis of a search warrant issued by the High Court of Cassation and Justice – the Criminal Section, in four offices belonging to the Ministry for Parliament Liaison, headquartered in Victoria Palace.

The search took place between 15.00h and 19.00h and targeted the exams for the appointment of counsellor 1 and counsellor 2, organized by the ministry on the same day. People from the minister’s cabinet and from the ministry, respectively the Competition Commission, were heard, pictures were taken and the searches were filmed.

We want the investigation to take place as quickly as possible and reveal the truth, so we know if offenses were committed. We express our confidence in the correctness of the actions undertaken by the state authorities, as well as in the competence and fairness of the Romanian justice,” the release signed by the Ministry for Parliament Liaison reads.

DNA notifies Prosecutor General, accuses Ministry for Parliament Liaison of disclosing information related to investigation

Following the above mentioned release from the Ministry for Parliament Liaison, DNA has notified the Prosecutor General’s Office upon the High Court of Cassation and Justice “to decide on the ex-officio notification in regard to the offence included in article 277 of the Criminal Code, i.e. compromising the interests of the judiciary in relation to the fact that, in the content of a communiqué released on August 1, 2017, the Ministry for Parliament Liaison inserted unpublished data from a criminal investigation that could affect its development. Specifically, the press release provides data on the subject of the searches and refers to the quality of the persons interviewed and the nature of the evidence. The data related to investigation have been revealed by the government institution although DNA had issued a communiqué about the stage of the investigation with strict public communication limits. We underline that the regime of information on procedural acts carried out by criminal investigating bodies, namely searches, hearings, etc., is strictly regulated, and such information cannot be the subject of public communication, except under certain circumstances strictly determined by the state of the investigation and established only by the criminal prosecution body,” the DNA release reads.