July 12 (SeeNews) - A Romanian prosecutor’s office on Thursday named Anca Jurma as interim head of the country's anti-corruption agency DNA, succeeding Laura Kovesi, who was dismissed in a controversial decision.
Jurma's mandate will last six months, the Prosecutor’s Office with the High Court of Cassation and Justice said in a press release.
"DNA is both part of the Romanian judicial system and an anti-corruption national authority within the meaning of the UN Convention against corruption. Therefore DNA has a major responsibility in fulfilling the mandate conferred by the law: combating high-level corruption. In this respect, DNA will have to remain a strong, independent and relevant institution as long as Romania still faces corruption," Jurma said in a televised conference broadcast by Digi 24.
Jurma has served as chief prosecutor of the international co-operation service and programmes department within the DNA for two consecutive terms and was subsequently appointed counselor to former DNA chief Kovesi.
On Monday, president Klaus Iohannis finally signed a decree to dismiss Kovesi, after the ruling coalition of the Social Democrat Party (PSD) and the Liberal-Democrat Alliance (ALDE) threatened to seek his suspension over his refusal to comply with a Constitutional Court decision and sack the DNA head.
In April the president rejected a proposal by justice minister Tudorel Toader to dismiss Kovesi. Toader claimed Kovesi had damaged the country's image abroad. In response, the Romanian government took the case to the Constitutional Court.
EU officials and anti-corruption institutions have praised DNA's activity in general and Kovesi's activity in particular on numerous occasions, stressing that her efforts are crucial for the country's fight against corruption.