PM Citu on court decision to close ’August 10, 2018’ rally case: Justice is a public service

 

Speaking at private broadcaster B1 TV, the head of the government stressed that the Executive cannot intervene in a court decision but that he, personally, is "disappointed" by the respective verdict.

 

"First of all, in a democratic country, the executive power does not intervene in the act of justice. Let this be very clear, I don't back down from this principle. At the same time, the act of justice is a public service and confidence in the judiciary is gauged according to the decisions. As a person, I am disappointed, because I was there and I know what happened but, I repeat, the decision-makers are the ones who have to answer to the society, to the Romanians in this particular case, as well as in all the cases in general," Citu said.

 

The Prime Minister said that the judiciary is the one to be held accountable for this.

 

"It's not the government the one that handed down the decision, the government was not involved in any way. I expressed my opinion before being a member of this Cabinet, but, I repeat, we must keep in mind that justice is also a public service and is done for the citizens in Romania and if the citizens are dissatisfied with the act of justice, they should say this and those who should be held accountable to the citizens are the ones who decide in the act of justice," Florin Citu said.

 

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The Bucharest Tribunal rejected on Tuesday the request of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organised Crimes and Terrorism to reopen the criminal investigation against the former chiefs of the Gendarmerie in the "August 10, 2018" case.

 

The court decision, which is final, was handed down by judge Daniela Isabela Mihet.

 

The decision closes the case for good and the former Gendarmerie chiefs will not face prosecution for their heavy-handed intervention against the participants in the August 2018 anti-government rally in Victoriei Square.