Iohannis: No good reasons to propose Kovesi's removal, I didn't like JusMin's performance

President Klaus Iohannis said on Friday he did not see Justice Minister Tudorel Toader's report based on which the latter asked for the removal from office of the chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) Laura-Codruta Kovesi, but from his point of view there were "no good reasons" for the move.

"This is a lasting procedure. I expressed myself institutionally last night (...) I have not seen the report. Nobody has seen the report on which the minister was counting, but I honestly did not like his performance last night," Iohannis said in Brussels asked about the minister of justice's decision to request the removal of Kovesi.

He added that "there were no good reasons for proposing the removal from office."

"I don't know to what extent the things exhibited do reflect the report or not. What Mr. minister presented us totally lacked clarity and at a first diagonal read it also lacked thoroughness. No sound reasons were there to table the removal. I say this because the law quite comprehensively provides for what it is being pursued when drafting such a report. I won't say more today and I wouldn't have what to say," the president told the journalists in Brussels.

The president specified that "the much promised report" has not surfaced on the Justice Ministry's website and never has it reached the Presidential Administration either.

"When we will have this report, we'll probably try to decipher it and then we'll discuss more."

President Iohannis was asked whether he could halt the DNA Chief Prosecutor's removal from office.

"Last night I've heard, among several things that did not convince me, one thing that seems interesting exactly in this circumstance. If the law provides for a possibility or, in translation, for an opportunity, then it cannot be censored. So, if the law says that the president revokes, then it is a matter of political opportunity whether he revokes or not, and only the president can decide upon it," Klaus Iohannis said.

He added that at the level of the Presidential Administration, there are speciality departments that will analyse the report exhibited by the Justice minister.

"As long as I haven't even seen a report, even if promised, I find it hard to make any assessment. It will take a while," Iohannis specified.

According to the president, some European leaders will be "perplexed", whilst others will ask themselves some other questions on the situation in Romania in this case.

"Categorically, this step will not lead to improving Romania's image," Iohannis concluded.

AGERPRES .