The former chief prosecutor of DNA, Laura Kovesi (seen in photo), toured the friendly press outlets on Wednesday evening, February 13th 2019, to lament her misfortune, of being subpoenaed by the deputy chief prosecutor of the Section for Investigating Crimes in the Justice System, Adina Florea, as a suspect, precisely one week prior to her hearing in the European Parliament, for the position of European Prosecutor. An embarrassing attempt to victimize herself. Because what Kovesi failed to mention is that, during her term, the National Anticorruption Directorate did the exact same thing, by criminally investigating and arresting politicians right before they were appointed in office or immediately after announcing their intention to run for office – publicly or informally.

The harshest example was by far that of Olguta Vasilescu. In office as the mayor of Craiova, Vasilescu was detained and paraded in handcuffs in front of the press in the end of March 2016, shortly after the information regarding her intention to run for a new term in office had become almost official. The indictment file fabricated by prosecutor Claudia Rosu was so poor, that it was dismissed from the start by the preliminary court. Meanwhile, the judges had dismissed the DNA’s request to place Olguta Vasilescu under preventive arrest, and the mayor was quickly cleared of any preventive measures. The boomerang turned against the prosecutors all the more powerful, as Olguta was reelected in 2016 with a higher score than in 2012.

During the same time, DNA was also poaching Bucharest district mayors. Neculai Ontanu and Robert Negoita were placed under criminal pursuit (and Ontanu was even arrested) in the spring of 2016, in the incipient phases of the election campaign, when their candidatures for new terms in office had already been decided. The case involving Ontanu was finalized with an acquittal, during the initial trial, for reasons of exceeding the statute of limitations. Other two heavyweight Bucharest mayors – Marian Vanghelie and Andrei Chiliman, had been politically executed back in 2015, when their standings in the polls were unbeatable, and their reelection unquestionable.

Also in the first half of 2016, the Anticorruption Directorate turned Ludovic Orban from PNL candidate in the run for the Mayor’s Office of Bucharest, into a suspect. The case was finalized with acquittals, during the initial trial and the appeal.

Catalin Chereches, the mayor of Baia Mare, was also detained, after announcing his intention to run for a new term in office. The outrage of the voters against DNA proved to be so powerful that Chereches was reelected while under preventive arrest and was sworn in behind bars.

Moreover, DNA placed Calin Popescu-Tariceanu under criminal pursuit in May 2016, in the midst of a full-on national campaign, when the politician was channeling all of his efforts into having his party confirmed for the first time in the elections. The case was concluded with an acquittal in the initial trial.

Iasi mayor Gheorghe Nichita wasn’t spared either. The politician announced his intention to run for a new term in office on April 23rd, as he celebrated his name day on Saint George’s Day. Precisely 7 days later, he was detained by DNA Bucharest. One week after the judge placed him under legal restriction pending trial and reinstated his right to act as mayor, the prosecutors’ office obtained a ruling to put the mayor under house arrest, from the Bucharest Court of Appeal, thus preventing Nichita from returning to office.

Media show organized by DNA in key political moments

In central politics, the National Anticorruption Directorate has put on a show in key moments ever since 2015. In June, they placed Prime Minister Victor Ponta under criminal investigation, on the same day that the opposition submitted a censure motion. This case too proved to be a hoax, and resulted in an acquittal during the initial trial.

In the fall of 2017, DNA placed Sevil Shhaideh under criminal investigation, to force her resignation as deputy prime minister and Minister of Development, for alleged deeds that would have taken place 4 years earlier. Together with Shhaideh, the prosecutors also asked the Parliament to sanction the criminal investigation of Rovana Plumb, but the legislative body dismissed the petition. However, Rovana resigned the Government as well, in which she held the position of Minister of European Funds.

In September 2016, the National Anticorruption Directorate commenced the criminal investigation of PNL co-chairman Vasile Blaga. At that time, the situation in the party was highly volatile, as former members of the PDL party was raising ever more claims against the traditional liberals, with the former benefitting from the advantage of better organization and a more solid regional network, thanks to Blaga’s organizational skills.

In more recent times, DNA attempted a coup in April 2018, when the prosecutors called PSD leader Liviu Dragnea in for a hearing (of course: with the press having been summoned to the prosecutors’ door), on the very day that President Klaus Iohannis had asked for the resignation of Prime Minister Viorica Dancila.

Beyond the political realm, the National Anticorruption Directorate also operated in the institutions of power. In February 2016, seeing as Tiberiu Nitu held his ground firmly, the DNA-friendly media outlets started an aggressive campaign against him, forcing his resignation as Attorney General, in the end. Immediately afterwards, the National Anticorruption Directorate commenced a criminal investigation against him. The path was thus opened for Augustin Lazar to follow in Nitu’s footsteps only two months later, obedient to Laura Kovesi and Klaus Iohannis.

To sum up, Luluta’s spectacle surrounding Adina Florea’s subpoena, one week before the hearing in the European Parliament, is futile. History tends to repeat itself, and the wheel keeps on turning, prompting Kovesi to reap what she has sewn, much like her prosecutors’ actions against local and central officials, as seen above.

* Read here the Romanian version of the article