Romania’s Superior Magistracy Council (CSM) has approved the National Anticorruption Directorate – DNA’s request to dismiss two of its most experienced prosecutors, Doru Tulus and Mihaiela Iorga Moraru, reports local Agerpres.

The DNA management last week decided to remove the two from the helm of important departments within DNA and asked for their dismissal from the institution motivating that the two no longer fulfilled the condition of the good reputation needed to fulfill their jobs.

The two prosecutors, who worked some very high-profile cases in their careers, accused the DNA chief prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi of trying to get rid of them on personal reasons.

Mihaiela Iorga Moraru accused Kovesi of pressuring her into arresting former tourism minister Elena Udrea although the Parliament hadn’t approved DNA’s request in this sense. She said she resisted Kovesi’s pressures. Meanwhile, Doru Tulus said that Kovesi had never liked him and his old school methods, and used the pretext of an internal leak scandal to get rid of him. However, he said nobody pressured him into doing anything against his will while working at DNA.

Tulus also said that DNA’s image has been badly damaged by the recent scandals involving Kovesi. A recording that was leaked to the press in June allegedly showed the DNA chief prosecutor Kovesi admonishing DNA prosecutors for not doing their jobs and asking them to bring more high-profile cases against powerful politicians. DNA said the recording was not authentic and started an internal investigation to find who had leaked internal tapes to the press.

Eight DNA prosecutors asked to be transferred from the department after they were asked to take polygraph tests within this internal investigation. However, both chief-prosecutor Kovesi and Romania’s General Prosecutor Augustin Lazar claim there’s no scandal within DNA, and President Klaus Iohannis continues to support Kovesi.

Internal conflict threatens Romania’s powerful anticorruption department

editor@romania-insider.com