National Anti-corruption Directorate

Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is in no way implicated in the court file under which Romania's former Prime Minister Victor Ponta is being investigated, but Blair's name has been mentioned publicly by co-defendant Sebastian Ghita, chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) Laura Codruta Kovesi said Friday.

The National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA) has started a criminal prosecution of Senator, MP Vasile Blaga, co-Chair of the National Liberal Party, at the time of the acts a secretary-general of a ruling party, for influence peddling, a release by the DNA reads.

Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos on Tuesday proposed Dragos Tudorache, the head of his chancellery, as the country's new interior minister with a brief to prepare for parliamentary elections which are scheduled to be held by the end of the year.

The chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, the DNA, Laura Codruta Kovesi, on Tuesday accused Romania's Foreign Intelligence Service, SIE, of not sending the DNA any information about possible crimes abroad since she became head of the DNA.

Investigations by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, the DNA, have not stopped many Romanian politicians from campaigning for office in the June elections.

Romania this week is to continue the process of nominating a new chief prosecutor and a new head for the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, the DNA, two institutions which are crucial to the success of the country's anti-graft drive.

Romania's top prosecutor Tiberiu Nitu deposited his resignation on Tuesday, with President Klaus Iohannis expected to nominate a successor.

In a statement quoted by Agerpres, Nitu said he was taking the step to "protect the reputation of the prosecutor's office".

Mircea Aron, 63, was elected head of the Superior Council of Magistracy, CSM, with 15 votes for and one against on Wednesday.

At the same session, prosecutor Luminita Palade was elected vice-president.

The election of a new chief is seen as important because the CSM is the guarantor of the independence of the judiciary in Romania.

A Romanian lawyer, a Bulgarian politician and a Croatian scientist have been listed as three of 28 people from EU states who are "shaping, shaking and stirring Europe" in a feature published by the Politico website on Wednesday.

Romania is represented on the list by Laura Codruta Kovesi, the woman leading the country's battle against corruption.

Senior members of Romania's governing Social Democratic Party, PSD, have started to openly demand reform inside the party following the indictment of its former leader, the current Prime Minister, Victor Ponta, on corruption charges.