February 14 (SeeNews) - The European Commission said on Thursday it is watching closely the domestic investigation of Romania's former anti-graft prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi, who has been recently nominated for the post of European chief prosecutor.
"The Commission is following the latest developments in the context of the selection process for EPPO [European Public Prosecutor's Office], we are doing this very closely, it is crucial that all candidates put forward by the independent selection panel are treated fairly in the course of this process," European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said during a press briefing in Brussels, according to a video file posted on the website of the Commission.
Schinas also stressed that an independent professional judiciary in Romania is of paramount importance.
In November 2017, the EU adopted Regulation to set the EPPO by 2020.
Just as the former head of Romania's anti-corruption agency DNA was about to be heard for the job at EPPO, she was called in for questioning by a newly established section for investigating magistrates for allegedly signing anti-democratic and secret protocols with Romania's intelligence services, according to data released by Romania's justice ministry.
Kovesi was nominated for the job at EPPO at the beginning of the month, but justice minister Tudorel Toader publicly made it clear that he is not in favour of her candidacy.
Toader was also the one who sought and finally achieved Kovesi's dismissal in July, because she had allegedly damaged the image of the country abroad.
Currently, DNA is led by an interim because in January Romanian president Klaus Iohannis again refused to appoint Adina Florea as head of the institution.
The president said that the law prohibits the appointment in key positions of magistrates who were part of the Communist-era intelligence services or who might have personal interests influencing their decisions and activity. For the same reasons, Iohannis refused to appoint Florea in November. Florea was nominated by Toader in December for the second time.
In January, Kovesi announced that she has challenged her dismissal at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), saying that this is just a matter of principle and that she is not looking for reinstatement as DNA chief.