European Commission On Kovesi Case: All EPPO Candidates Must Be Treated Fairly

The Commisssion’s response comes as Romanian prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi, the top favorite for the EPPO office, announced that she was subpoenaed by the country’s magistrate investigation section and deemed it as an attempt to derail her bid.

“The Commission is closely following the latest developments regarding the selection procedure. It is crucial for all candidates proposed by an independent selection committee to be treated fairly throughout the process. In regards to Romania’s judicial system, we clearly reiterated many times that an independent, professional judicial system is of a great importance. The Commission knows that all candidates for the office of European chief prosecutor were assessed by the independent selection committee, and the shortlist was sent the European Parliament and EU Council,” Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said on Thursday.

The Romanian prosecutor announced on Wednesday that she was subpoenaed by the country’s magistrate investigation section for a case in which she is suspected of abuse of office.

The former chief prosecutor of the country’s National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) accused that the subpoena is an attempt to derail her bid or the office by the hostile current political power.

She said that the court order was issued after she communicated the date on which she was initially supposed to attend a European Parliament hearing for the EPPO office to the country’s Supreme Court.

Magistrate investigation section prosecutor Adina Florea, who is handling the case, confirmed on Thursday that the subpoena was issued in regards to charges pressed by fugitive businessman Sebastian Ghita, who accused Kovesi last year of requesting him to pay for a flight used to repatriate another convicted businessman, Nicolae Popa, from Thailand in 2011.