The former chief prosecutor of the DNA, Laura Kovesi (pictured left), has fallen from grace. Under investigation for accepting a bribe, abuse of office and false testimony, Kovesi has been brought to her knees by the Bucharest Court of Appeal, which has ascertained another abuse which she perpetrated during her term in office at the DNA. This refers to the abuse against prosecutor Mihaiela Iorga Moraru (pictured right).

The Bucharest Court of Appeal confirmed, on Tuesday, February 19th 2018, that Laura Kovesi unlawfully attempted to remove Iorga Moraru from the DNA. Specifically, the Bucharest Court of Appeal annulled Kovesi’s order from July 5th 2017, to revoke Mihaiela Iorga Moraru from the anti-corruption prosecutors’ office, which had received the endorsement of Kovesi’s minions in the Superior Magistrates’ Council.

At the same time, the Bucharest Court of Appeal rendered it mandatory for the “institution of the chief prosecutor of the DNA” to pay court expenses amounting to 3,000 lei. However, the court dismissed Mihaiela Iorga Moraru’s petition to compel Laura Kovesi to pay damages amounting to 10,000 Euro.

Minutes of the Bucharest Court of Appeal:

“Dismisses the exceptions of inadmissibility, the lack of passive capacity to stand trial of the individual defendants and the lack of interest of the plaintiff. Partly admits the case. Annuls Order no. 301/05.07.2017 issued by the Chief Prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate. Annuls notification no. 1840/C/2017/16.08.2017 issued by the Chief Prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate. Dismisses, as ungrounded, the petition regarding moral damages. Partly admits the petition regarding court expenses and compels the defendant, the Institution of the Chief Prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate to pay court expenses amounting to 3000 lei to the plaintiff, constituting legal stamp duty and discounted lawyer fees. Subject to appeal within 15 days from communication. The appeal is submitted to the Bucharest Court of Appeal, 8th Administrative and Fiscal section (former). Rendered today, 19.02.2019, whereas the ruling was made available to the parties by the court clerk”.

Case in the works at the ‘elite unit’, in parallel with the revocation

We remind you that Iorga Moraru was dismissed from her position through Laura Kovesi’s order, which received the favorable endorsement of the Prosecutors’ Section of the Superior Magistrates’ Council. On September 27th 2017, through civil ruling no. 3325/2017, judge Amer Jabre from the Bucharest Court of Appeal temporarily suspended the enforcement of Order no. 301/05.07.2017 issued by the Chief Prosecutor of DNA, and Moraru earned her right to return to the DNA in order to exercise her profession. On November 24th 2017, prosecutor Mihaela Iorga Moraru filed a new legal action against the head of the DNA as well as the deputy chief prosecutor of DNA, Marius Iacob, for the annulment of Order no. 301/5.07.2017, through which she was revoked from the position of prosecutor with the National Anticorruption Directorate. The case was registered on the dockets of the 8^th fiscal and administrative Section of the Bucharest Court of Appeal, with no. 9002/2/2017. Apart from the annulment of the order, Iorga also requested damages from the DNA, Kovesi and Iacob, amounting to 10,000 Euro, constituting material damages for the months of July through October 2017, as a result of her dismissal.

Meanwhile, Iorga Moraru was sued by the very DNA in an embarrassing fabrication. The fabrication was confirmed by the decision dated June 18th 2018, through which the High Court, in the preliminary court hearings, ascertained the nullity of the case file compiled by the ‘National Embarrassment’ DNA unit of Ploiesti, in which Iorga Moraru was accused of alleged deeds of aiding and abetting and continued falsification of documents. The High Court decided to return the case to DNA after dismissing all of the evidence gathered during the criminal investigation, including prosecutor Iorga Moraru’s testimony as a witness. The case against Mihaiela Iorga Moraru was compiled by prosecutors Lucian Onea and Laura Bucica from DNA Ploiesti, and confirmed by the head of the 2^nd Section of DNA, Marius Bulancea. Currently, the case of Mihaeiela Iorga Moraru is at the Section for Investigating Crimes in the Justice System, where the prosecutor shall conduct her professional activity in the following years.

* Read here the Romanian version of the article