BUCHAREST: Romania faced a long search Friday for a new anti-corruption chief following the controversial sacking of star prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi earlier this month.
The Justice Ministry on Friday rejected four senior prosecutors who had applied for Kovesi´s old position as head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor´s Office (DNA), saying none of the met the relevant criteria.
President Klaus Iohannis approved the dismissal of Kovesi -- considered a symbol of the fight against graft in one of the European Union´s most corruption-plagued members -- on July 9 after long resisting attempts to remove her by the ruling Social Democratic Party.
A second one-month selection process to fill the vacancy will start on August 6. The opposition National Liberal Party called on Justice Minister Tudorel Toader to explain his reasons for rejecting all four candidates. The former head of Romania´s Constitutional Court, Augustin Zegrean, told AFP that in his opinion all four candidates were qualified for the post. "Probably the minister wants someone else", he said.