A panel of Romanian lawmakers partially decriminalizes the abuse of power

Abuse of power is no longer a crime if prosecutors can not prove that the public official in question committed the act for his own benefit or for the benefit of parents first or second degree.

BUCHAREST: A committee of Romanian legislators voted Monday for the partial decriminalization of the abuse of power, a change that, if enacted, could void a prison sentence for the leader of the ruling party. [19659004LevotesthatthebirthofrundershipofthegeneralregionwhichtheEUaccusedmanyPost-communistPortsoftheEuropeanCountrieswouldcompletelyplacedthetribalsofthepoliticalcontrolandaffectedtheimplementationoftheAgainstationswhichthey​​

is considered one of the most corrupt states in the EU and Brussels has maintained its justice system under special surveillance since its entry into the bloc in 2007. Monday's vote was taken by a committee headed by Florin Iordache, who resigned from his position as justice minister in early 2017, after a failed attempt to decriminalize several corruption offenses. the largest gatherings since the anti-communist revolution of 1989.

The changes tabled by the Justice Ministry cleared the panel by a margin of 13-7 in a session dominated by deputies of the Social Democratic Party (PSD ), who also have a comfortable majority.

Last month, the Supreme Court sentenced PSD leader Liviu Dragnea, also president of the lower house of parliament, to three and a half years in prison for inciting other officials to commit power. The decision is not final and may be challenged in court.

Critics say that Dragnea's preliminary imprisonment for abuse of power could become void since neither he nor his relatives took advantage of the alleged offenses, although the court ruled that some employees of his party Under the amendments, the abuse of office would no longer be a crime if prosecutors could not prove that the public official in question had committed the act for his own benefit or for the benefit of the first or the of the second. In addition, the committee voted for the decriminalization of shares as a result of which a public official earns less than 1,900 lei (1,900 RM), a change that seems to redefine the abuse of power.

Legislators also voted to lower the maximum sentence of imprisonment for abuse of power to seven years from seven currently and to decide that convicts over the age of sixty would serve only one-third of their overall sentence in prison.

Anti-corruption prosecutors have said that more than 200 office abuse offenses that are currently on their way to court could be immediately scrapped when new changes come into effect.

The bill will be sent to the upper house, the Senate, on Tuesday. A vote in the lower house, which has the last word on the bill, is expected before July 19, when an extraordinary legislative session began on July 2.

Anti-corruption prosecutors have obtained a series of convictions against legislators, ministers and mayors in recent years, exposing conflicts of interest, abuse of power, fraud and the awarding of state contracts in exchange Bribes.

But prominent politicians, some of whom are currently under investigation or on trial, have denied being accused of using their powers of political persecution.