IntMin Dan: Former DNA Chief Prosecutor" request to benefit from SPP protection, not legal

Interior Minister Carmen Dan stated on Monday evening, that she relied on the legal provisions when she did not agree with the request of former chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) Laura Codruta Kovesi to the Romania's Supreme Council of National Defence (CSAT) asking to continue to benefit from the protection of the Protection and Guard Service (SPP), specifying that the minister she is leading has structures that can ensure protection. 

"There was a discussion about this subject and the topic was precisely the request forwarded by Mrs. Kovesi to Romania's Supreme Council of National Defence, asking for the approval for the maintenance of the protection of the Protection and Guard Service. On that occasion, I expressed my standpoint, I did not agree with that request, obviously relying on legal provisions, which are not few and which give the Gendarmerie and the Police attributions for the security of magistrates, even when these magistrates are in a risky situation. And there are several pieces of legislation. When I expressed this standpoint, I made reference to a legal basis and I can tell you, we have Law 333 from 2003, it has article 3, paragraph 5. Law 550 from 2004, with regard to the organisation and functioning of the Gendarmerie, an Emergency Ordinance, no. 20 from 2009, a Law, 303 from 2004, on the statute of judges and prosecutors, a Law, 218 from 2002, regarding the organisation of the Romanian Police. There have been, therefore, a series of pieces of legislation that justified and allotted this competency to certain structures under the ministry. So, as you can well see, there is a substantial legal basis that I obviously analysed when I expresses my opinion," Carmen Dan told private TV broadcaster Antena 3. 

She mentioned that her reply was also based on the fact that the Interior Ministry has structures that might ensure protection. 

Carmen Dan further showed that until now, the Interior Ministry has not received any request on behalf of Laura Codruta Kovesi.