Romania’s president stands by anti-corruption prosecutor

BUCHAREST, Romania – Romania’s president has offered his support to the besieged chief anti-corruption prosecutor, suggesting politicians indicted for corruption are trying to undermine the anti-graft fight.

President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday hit out at “offenders who are making a desperate attempt” to try to discredit the anti-corruption prosecutors’ agency, efforts he called “deplorable and unconvincing.”

Former lawmaker Vlad Cosma this week claimed that four prosecutors wanted him to provide fake evidence and had planted unspecified false evidence on him.

Chief anti-corruption prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi rejected the allegations and claimed Cosma, who is on trial for influence-peddling, had “tried to intimidate prosecutors” by threatening to broadcast doctored recordings.

Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, who returned to Bucharest from Japan to deal with the crisis, will present a report about the situation to Parliament next week.