Gov't adopts memorandum on abolition of Section for Investigation of Criminal Offences in the Judiciary

The government adopted at its Friday evening meeting the Justice Ministry's memorandum proposing the abolition of the Section for the Investigation of Criminal Offences in the Judiciary (SIIJ). The adoption of the memorandum does not mean that the government dismantles the SIIJ, but only that it assumes as an official stance Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu's proposition. The next step is the government's drafting a relevant bill that will be referred to Parliament for debate, government sources told AGERPRES. Referring to the SIIJ, Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu said on Friday evening, at the beginning of the government meeting, that this is a sui generis institution that departs from the principles of the Public Prosecution Office through the regulation of its operation. Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said that, as a principle, he finds the Justice Ministry's proposal to dismantle this section is correct, the more so as it is also laid down in the governing program. "Basically our CVM-related commitment is to transpose the recommendations, because our goal is to bring the CVM to an end, at a certain point," said Prime Minister Orban. AGERPRES (RO - editor: Marius Fratila; EN - author/editor: Simona Klodnischi)