BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Romania’s government has published an ordinance requiring prosecutors in key agencies to have more years of experience, igniting fresh criticism that it could wreak havoc on current investigations.
The decree made public Tuesday could interfere with the prosecution of Liviu Dragnea, the governing Social Democratic Party’s chairman, who’s being investigated for embezzling European Union funds. The lead prosecutor in the case doesn’t have the minimum 10 years of professional activity required under the new measure. Dragnea denies wrongdoing.
The general prosecutors’ office said the development means 20 anti-corruption prosecutors, 20 military prosecutors and four prosecutors in the anti-organized crime agency are no longer qualified to work in their respective agencies.
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General Prosecutor Augustin Lazar said Tuesday the ordinance had “created many problems for prosecutors’ offices, especially the National Anti-Corruption Directorate.”
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