President 'wouldn't dare' suggest any inquiry

After yesterday's meeting of the Supreme Council for National Defense (CSAT), the President of Romania Traian Basescu made some comments on some DNA (National Anti-Corruption Department) investigations against former and present ministers, claiming he "wouldn't dare" suggest to a prosecutor to open inquiry on someone or not. The President highlighted he didn't interfere in prosecutors' business on the cases reaching Presidency. He mentioned that the cases against Adrian Nastase, Miron Mitrea and Victor Babiuc had already been opened, but they reached Presidency again because of the Constitutional Court's decision last spring.
As for minister Tudor Chiuariu and Paul Pacuraru, President Basescu mentioned: "The documents that reached Cotroceni Palace don't announce the opening of criminal inquiry against them. There have been investigations, but they are not under inquiry, they are not accused. For the two ministers to explain things to prosecutors there is needed the Romanian President's consent on grounds of a report by the commission".
The President commented that, by his attitude at the DNA inquiry, the Justice minister was discrediting himself as much as he was discrediting both the government and Romanian Justice, for he should he proved his innocence in court, not on TV. Traian Basescu said he was stunned at minister Chiuariu's view on the terms with the institutions he was responsible for. The President insisted that, had it belonged to any other minister, Tudor Chiuariu's attitude wouldn't have been as "serious and inappropriate".

Roxana Andronic
Ziua Miercuri 26 Septembrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english