Romania president urges premier to resign amid corruption allegations
Romania’s President Klaus Werner Iohannis has called for the resignation of Prime Minister Victor Ponta over corruption allegations, including tax evasion, forgery and money laundering.
Warning that Romania could plunge into a “political crisis” if Ponta did not step down, President Iohannis said a recent decision by the country’s anti-corruption agency to probe the allegations against Ponta puts Romania in “an impossible situation.”
Ponta has refused to resign, saying in a post on his Facebook page, “I respect the president’s public position but I was named to this position by parliament.” He also added that he could only be removed by the parliament.
President Iohannis and Ponta are from two rival political factions in the country.
Earlier in the day, the National Anticorruption Directorate, known by its Romanian acronym as DNA, said the 42-year-old prime minister was a suspect in connection with crimes including forgery, money laundering, conflict of interest and tax evasion.
The DNA said the prime minister is suspected of involvement in the alleged crimes when he worked as a lawyer from 2007 to 2008. Ponta, the most high-ranking suspect identified in the anti-corruption case, also served as a lawmaker for the Social Democratic Party at the time.
Ponta’s case is the latest in a series of anti-corruption probes in recent months, which have led to the arrest or removal of several officials. In May, Romanian Finance Minister Darius Valcov stepped down after an investigation into his alleged corruption and abuse of power as a former mayor of the southern city of Slatina.
Romania, seen as one of the European Union (EU)’s most corrupt member states, has in recent years cracked down on corruption, prosecuting thousands of public servants.
MIS/HSN/HJL
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