BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Romania’s lower house of parliament on Wednesday struck down a legal amendment that would have decriminalised some abuse of power cases, a move that six years ago triggered huge street protests against corruption.
Romania is one of the European Union’s most corrupt states, according to Transparency International, and Brussels kept its justice system under special monitoring since it joined the EU in 2007. The Commission recommended lifting the monitoring mechanism late last year.
The amendment introduced a provision stating that abuse of office offences which cause financial damage of less than 250,000 lei ($55,380) should no longer be punishable.
A similar move approved by a leftist government by emergency decree six years ago triggered the European Union state’s largest street protests in three decades that did not die down until the decree was rescinded.
Senators have said the abuse of power financial threshold was needed to get the criminal code in line with constitutional court rulings. The court has said abuse of office crimes should have a minimum threshold without stating a specific level.
But the lower house eliminated the proposed threshold altogether, leaving open the possibility that future abuse of power cases could be challenged at the constitutional court.
Investigations by anti-corruption prosecutors have exposed conflict of interest, abuse of power, fraud and awarding of state contracts in exchange for bribes across political parties.
(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Nick Macfie)
