JusMin Toader: Acquittals, cases in which limitation period occurred or abuses are not fake news

Acquittals, legal conflicts of a constitutional nature, the cases in which the limitation period occurred or abuses are not "fake news", Justice Minister Tudorel Toader stated on Wednesday evening, in relation to the affirmations made by the Chief Prosecutor of National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA), Laura Codruta Kovesi at the United Nations. 

"Numerous acquittals, especially of late, the three legal conflicts of a constitutional nature triggered in less than one year, the fact that in many cases the exoneration from criminal liability occurred and were not solved within that reasonable deadline, the buses we all see, the fact that one prosecutor or another was yesterday among the elites, praised, appreciated and today is in turn investigated for unjust repression are certainly not fake news. If we want to be honest, we must present the good and the bad that characterise the Romanian justice system, the good things and the bad things which characterise DNA. We should see whether in a rule of law the principle, the requirement, the public welfare which result from the rule of law allow for X well solved cases to tolerate numerous acquittals, abuses and all the rest. I don't think so, as far as I am concerned," Toader said at private TV broadcaster Romania TV. 

Chief Prosecutor of DNA Laura Codruta Kovesi stated on Wednesday, in a speech held at the seat of the United Nationa in New York that the entire justice system in Romania has been confronted with "attacks through fake news." 

"There have been repeated attempts to amend the anti-corruption legislation so as to limit the legal instruments used by the anti-corruption prosecutors or the decriminalisation of certain deeds. There have been situations in which the waver of the immunity of politicians accused of corruption deeds was turned down. Besides these attempts, the entire justice system was confronted with attacks through fake news or through public statements meant to weaken the trust in justice. Romania's greatest challenge is keeping the judges' and prosecutors' independence and legislative stability, these being vital for the anti-corruption prosecutors to be efficient," Kovesi said in the speech held at a debate marking 15 years since the adoption of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), according to a DNA press release.