Romania’s High Court (ICCJ) adjourned hearings in the case against Social Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea and set another term for May 20, after the prosecutors of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) raised constitutional objections against two paragraphs of law, including the controversial one related to the courts specialized in corruption cases, local G4media.ro reported.

The law 78/2000 as interpreted by Dragnea and his lawyers, invalidates all the corruption cases judged by ICCJ since 2003 for the simple fact that the panels of judges were not specialized in corruption cases. Chamber of Deputies’ deputy president Florin Iordache raised this objection to the Constitutional Court, which will rule on this on April 17.

The Constitutional Court endorsing the interpretation of Iordache would entitle Dragnea’s lawyers to ask for another panel of judges meaning that the trial would resume from square one. Arguably, such a decision would impact past sentences given by ICCJ panels in corruption cases.

Notably, G4media mentions that one of the judges in the panel handling Dragnea’s case is retiring on June 1, which, G4media commented, means the trial would anyway resume from square one.

Liviu Dragnea received a three year and a half sentence in a first instance, and a final conviction would put an end to his political career as he also has another suspended sentence in another case.

editor@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea)