Laura Codruța Kövesi
| Laura Codruța Kövesi | |
|---|---|
| Chief Prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate | |
|
Assumed office 17 May 2013 | |
| President |
Traian Băsescu Klaus Iohannis |
| Prime Minister |
Victor Ponta Dacian Cioloș |
| Prosecutor General of Romania | |
|
In office 2 October 2006 – 2 October 2012 | |
| President | Traian Băsescu |
| Prime Minister |
Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu Emil Boc Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu Victor Ponta |
| Preceded by | Ilie Botoș |
| Succeeded by | Tiberiu Nițu |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Laura Codruța Lascu May 15, 1973 Sfântu Gheorghe, Covasna County, Romania |
| Nationality | Romanian |
| Spouse(s) | Eduard Kövesi (m. 2002–07) |
| Children | None |
| Parents | Ioan Lascu (father) |
| Residence | Bucharest |
| Alma mater | Babeș-Bolyai University |
| Religion | Romanian Orthodox |
Laura Codruța Kövesi (born Laura Codruța Lascu on May 15, 1973) is the current chief prosecutor of Romania's National Anticorruption Directorate (Romanian: Direcţia Naţională Anticorupţie) (DNA), a position she has held since 2013. Prior to this, Kövesi was the Prosecutor General of Romania (Procuror General), attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice.
Upon appointment in 2006, Kövesi was the first woman and the youngest Prosecutor General in Romania's history. She is also the only public servant to have held the office of Prosecutor General for the entire duration of its term.[1]
Kövesi was described by The Guardian in 2015 as a "quiet, unassuming chief prosecutor who is bringing in the scalps", leading "an anti-corruption drive quite unlike any other in eastern Europe – or the world for that matter".[2] Her tenure as head of the DNA has substantially increased public confidence in the institution, both within Romania and across the EU, with a 2015 poll reporting that a high 60% of Romanians trust the DNA (compared to 61% for the Romanian Orthodox Church and only 11% for parliament).[2][3] In February 2016, Kövesi was renominated for chief prosecutor by the Ministry of Justice, based on the positive results achieved under her leadership.[4][5]
Biography
Born in Sfântu Gheorghe, Kövesi played professional basketball in her youth, at the club in Mediaș and in Sibiu, and was selected for the junior players national team which finished second in the 1989 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship for Women. Codruța Lascu married Eduárd Kövesi, an ethnic Hungarian, and kept his surname even after their divorce in 2007. She can speak some English and Hungarian.[6]
Before her position as Prosecutor General, Kövesi was the head of the Department of Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism Offences (DIICOT) branch in Sibiu County.
DNA leadership
Under Kövesi's leadership, the DNA has made notable progress against high-level corruption in Romania,[7][2] having successfully prosecuted dozens of mayors (such as Sorin Oprescu), five MPs, two ex-ministers and a former prime minister in 2014 alone. Hundreds of former judges and prosecutors have also been brought to justice, with a conviction rate above 90%.[2] In 2015, 12 members of parliament were investigated, including ministers: “we have investigated two sitting ministers, one of whom went from his ministerial chair directly to pre-trial detention”, Kövesi said.[2]
Criticism
Victor Ponta, former prime minister of Romania and the highest-ranking government official currently under DNA investigation and prosecution, accused Kövesi of being "a totally unprofessional prosecutor trying to make a name by inventing and imagining facts and untrue situations from 10 years ago”. These comments were posted on his Facebook page, following his indictment on charges of forgery, money laundering, and tax evasion, brought against him by the DNA.[2]
See also
References
- ↑ Lucia Efrim (1 October 2012), "Codruţa Kovesi - singurul procuror general al României care-şi duce mandatul până la capăt", Mediafax, retrieved 6 November 2015
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Bringing in the scalps: the woman leading Romania's war on corruption", Theguardian.com, retrieved 6 November 2015
- ↑ "Romanians trust DNA almost as much as the Church". Romania-Insider.com. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ "Ministrul Justitiei a facut anuntul oficial: Kovesi, in fruntea DNA pentru inca un mandat". Ziare.com. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ "Laura Codruta Kovesi, reinvestita la sefia DNA cu acte - Ministrul Justitiei a trimis la CSM propunerea UPDATE". Ziare.com. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ "DNA CV: Kovesi". DNA - National Anticorruption Directorate. Retrieved March 2016.
- ↑ "Romania anti-sleaze drive reaches elite - BBC News", Bbc.com, retrieved 6 November 2015
External links
- (Romanian) Kövesi's CV at DNA
- (Romanian) Facebook page - The National Anticorruption Directorate