Corruption is Everywhere - But in the Upper Echelons of the EC?

EC reacts to news of criminal file opened on Frans Timmermans: Romanian authorities have no jurisdiction

Posted by: Victor Lupu  in POLITICS, TOP NEWS 

European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas has said on Thursday, referring to the file opened with the special section for investigating offenses in the justice system against EC Vice-President Frans Timmermans (photo) and European Commissioner Vera Jourova , that Romanian authorities have no jurisdiction on such issues, ziare.com informs.

“The European Commission has learned from the press that the Romanian authorities have launched a criminal investigation against several officials of the Commission, for their activity. Although we do not comment on national judicial matters, we would like to remind the Romanian authorities they have no jurisdiction in such matters. All European Commission officials, in official positions, are subjects to the Court of Justice of the European Union and are under the protection of the Protocol on Privileges and Immunities in the Treaties, accepted by all Member States, including Romania. We should remind that the EC representatives have expressed yesterday serious concerns on the situation of the rule of law in Romania,” Margaritis Schinas said.

On Wednesday reports said that prosecutor Adina Florea has registered a criminal file on the name of Frans Timmermans, First Vice-President of the European Commission, with the special section for investigating offenses in the justice system, following a complaint filed by a website close to PSD – ‘Lumea justitiei’ (luju.ro), digi24.ro informed.

The section has received a criminal complaint from Lumea justitiei (luju.ro) concerning several high ranking European and Romanian officials: Frans Timmermans, First Vice-President of the European Commission; Vera Jourova, European commissioner for Justice; Augustin Lazar, Prosecutor General of Romania and Angela Cristea, the head of the EC Representation in Romania.

The complaint also targets those who have edited the latest Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) report released on November 13, 2018.

All of them should be summoned for hearings, luju.ro reads. According to the source, they are charged with setting up an organized criminal group, abuse of office, forgery and release of false information. The denouncement was filed on January 30, 2019.

Luju.ro reads that the European officials could be investigated by the special section, as the Criminal Code, article 10, paragraph (1) reads that ‘the Romanian criminal law is enforced for offenses committed abroad by a foreign citizen or by a person without citizenship, against the Romanian state, against a Romanian citizen or against Romanian legal persons.’

Is EC protecting its authority, or are the protecting criminals?