Romania Justice minister makes key nominations for top prosecutor jobs

Romania’s Justice minister Catalin Predoiu on Tuesday made three key nominations for the top job at key prosecutor’s offices – the Prosecutor General, the head of the National Anti-corruption Department (DNA) and the key office dealing with organised crime and terrorism, DIICOT.

He nominated Gabriela Scutea for Prosecutor General, Crin Bologa for head of the DNA and Giorgiana Hosu at the helm of DIICOT.

The three nominations are to receive the consultative approval of the Superior Council of Magistrates (CSM), with a final decision due to be taken by President Klaus Iohannis. Iohannis can only reject a nomination once – and provide arguments for such a decision.

Gabriela Scutea, 47, has been working as a prosecutor at the Court of Appeals in the city of Brasov, Central Romania. She had previously worked as a state secretary at the Justice Ministry and as deputy to Laura Codruta Kovesi when Kovesi worked as prosecutor general.

Between 2006-2013, she served as deputy to Kovesi, then for several months as aide to Prosecutor General of the time Tiberiu Nitu. In January 2016, when a controversial ministerial ordinance seen as harmful for the fight against corruption, Ordinance 13, was issued by the Social Democratic government, she was serving as a state secretary at the Justice Ministry.

Crin Nicu Bologa, nominated to head the anti-corruption body, the DNA, is first deputy prosecutor at the Tribunal in the city of Salaj. The media has reported on his allegedly impressive wealth – he reportedly holds ten properties in Salaj, Zalau, Cluj Napoca, and the county of Constanta.

Giorgiana Hosu, nominated for the top job at DIICOT, has been serving as interim head of the office dealing with organised crime since October 2019. In December last year, the prosecutors’ section of the Superior Council of Magistrates rejected her delegation at the helm of DIICOT.

She had previously served as deputy to the DIICOT chief since October 2018, when she was nominated by former Justice minister Tudorel Toader.

She had served as deputy head of DIICOT between 2013-2015. Previously she led the service in charge with major cases of financial crimes. She then ran for the DIICOT leadership but lost the race in 2015. According to some reports one of the reason she lost the race was a case involving her husband, who had been charged with traffic of influence as manager of a company.