Romania’s Pres Urges Lawmakers To Re-Examine Law On Criminal Procedure Code

Basescu stressed that no Parliament in Romania has ever put the interests of a criminal before people’s interests.

 

Basescu said that the amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code should have “accurately” established a harmed person’s rights and guarantees during a trial.

 

The President said it would have been very important that these amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code accurately establish rights and guarantees for a community whose mayor steals, for Romanians, if a minister steals, for owners, if employees steal, or for the victims of a house robbery or theft in a bus.  

 

Basescu cared to stress that these amendments protect all those who commit crimes.

 

Basescu referred to the new provision of the Criminal Procedure Code, which stipulates that phone tapping can only be conducted after the criminal investigation starts, provided the target-person is previously informed that her/his phone calls are tapped. Thus, the President cared to point out that the investigators are highly unlikely to get any relevant information under the circumstances.  

 

Basescu also referred to the provision stipulating that journalists may be sent to prison as well, if they publish recordings that contain evidence relating to alleged crimes.

 

He emphasized the fact that certain regulations of the European Court of Human Rights stipulate that such recordings can go public, considering the importance of people’s interests and welfare.

 

Basescu concluded his speech saying he asked the lawmakers to re-examine the law approving Government emergency Ordinance 60/2006 amending the Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code, so that the provisions included in the Ordinance remain unchanged.

 

The law approving Government Ordinance 60/2006 was adopted by the Chamber of Deputies on October 22 and sent to the presidency for promulgation on November 5.