Judge resigns from Constitutional Court amidst major offense charges

Judge Toni Grebla resigned on Wednesday from the Constitutional Court of Romania, the Court announced in a media release. Grebla personally communicated his decision to the plenum of the Court, which acknowledged it; the President of the Court then took notice of the termination of Grebla's tenure.

Photo credit: (c) Silviu MATEI /AGERPRES PHOTO

'The Court observes that the resignation occurred amongst pressures exerted on it in relation with the exercise of its legal attributions stipulated in the fundamental law,' the release points out.

Within this context, the Court underlined the importance of the presumption of innocence and of observing all the judiciary rights and guarantees during criminal investigations, as well as the individuals' right to their own image, as enshrined in the Constitution.

The head of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) Laura Codruta Kovesi requested on Tuesday the notification of the Standing Bureau of the Senate as a step in the procedure for getting the permission to arrest and indict Grebla.

The judge was initially charged of influence peddling, financial and trade operations incompatible with his position in order to get illegal benefits, and forming an organized criminal group intended to use forged customs documents; prosecutors later added enabling an offender and using non-public information or allowing others to access such information to get illegal benefits.