Senators to decide on criminal prosecution of EX Foreign Minister Corlatean on Tuesday

The request by the National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA) for the start of criminal prosecution against former Minister of Foreign Affairs Titus Corlatean could be presented to the Senate on Tuesday, Senate Vice-president Ioan Chelaru announced. DNA prosecutors accused Corlatean, currently a Senator of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) of abuse of power and curtailing the voting rights of Romanian citizens living abroad.

In May, DNA prosecutors asked the Prosecutor General to request to the Senate to approve the start of criminal prosecution against former minister Titus Corlatean. Corlatean, Minister of Foreign Affairs during the presidential elections of November 2014, is accused by the DNA of having “organized in a discretionary way voting sections abroad, obtaining an undue benefit” for PSD presidential candidate Victor Ponta. Following protests by Romanian citizens living abroad, Corlatean stepped down after the first round of elections in November 2014, two years after assuming office.

On June 14 the Senate’s Judiciary Committee gave a negative opinion to the DNA request, with five senators voting against, three in favor and one senator casting a null vote. Next, the report of the Judiciary Committee will reach the Senate plenum on June 21.

Upon hearing the verdict of the Judiciary Committee, Corlatean said he proved with arguments that the accusations of anti-corruption prosecutors are “entirely unfounded.”

Georgeta Gheorghe

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