March 18, 2013

PRESS RELEASE

The Public Information and Press Relations Bureau within the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice is authorised to release the following information to the public:

The prosecutors within the Criminal Investigation and Forensic Section of the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice issued the order to pursue the criminal prosecution of the following defendants, for offences of conflict of interest:

- LAZĂR SORIN CONSTANTIN  (M.P., Senator in the Parliament of Romania) - the factual situation established by the prosecution ascertains that the defendant, in his capacity as Senator, proposed the employment and signed the individual employment contract of his son, based on which the latter was hired at the parliamentary constituency office during September 1, 2010 – October 01, 2011.

- KEREKES KÁROLY (M.P., Deputy in the Parliament of Romania, 5 occurrences) - the factual situation established by the prosecution ascertains that during October 3, 2006 – May 18, 2009, the defendant, in his capacity as Deputy, repeatedly proposed and signed the employment at his parliamentary constituency office of his own son, and concluded service contracts with his own wife for services paid for by the Chamber of Deputies. 

Mention must be made that the commencement of criminal prosecution is a stage in the criminal proceedings that is regulated by the Criminal Procedure Code and whose purpose is to set up the proceedings framework for the administration of evidence, which under no circumstance can infringe the presumption of innocence principle.