Laura Kövesi, a former head of Romania’s anti-corruption agency (DNA), may become the first head of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. 17 of the 22 EU members that are establishing a new agency backed her candidacy on September, 19.
Next week Laura Kövesi is expected to be formally nominated; then the EU member states shall oficially endorse the candidate, Deutsche Welle reports.
Over the five years of Kövesi’s being the chief anti-corruption prosecutor in Romania, thousands of persons were indicted, including ministers, media moguls, judges, prosecutors, MPs and businessmen.
In 2015, the Guardian called her a ‘quiet, unassuming chief prosecutor, who is bringing in the scalps’.
Curiously, the Romanian authorities have taken a stand against the would-be appointment. In particular, members of the Social Democratic Party which is part of the government coalition. keep accusing Laura Kövesi of corruption, abuse of power and giving false information. However, it should be noted that the agency had conducted a number of investigations into the party’s affairs during her being in office.
According to Kövesi, the allegations are instances of the slander campaigning that was unleashed against her in Romania.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office will be an independent and decentralised prosecution office of the European Union, with the competence to investigate, prosecute and bring to judgment crimes against the EU budget, such as fraud, corruption or serious cross-border VAT fraud. The agency is currently being set up, with the aim of becoming operational at the end of 2020. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office will have its seat in Luxembourg.
