Justice minister demands investigating judge Dorin Popovich

Minister of Justice Alexandru Tanase asked the Supreme Council of Magistrates and the Prosecution General's Office to investigate the steps taken by judge Dorin Popovich during the April 2009 events, Info-Prim Neo reports. On February 9, he filed an application to the Supreme Council of Magistrate, asking that disciplinary proceedings be taken against judge Dorin Popovich, who examined the cases of Oxana and Ludmila Radu at the General Police Commissariat. The minister says judge Dorin Popovich committed serious violations of the legislation and the judiciary ethics. The judge is accused of trying cases outside the court, infringing thus the principle of impartiality and independence, examining the cases in a summary form, on the basis of the police reports only, non-ensuring of the offenders' access to the services of a lawyer. Alexandru Tanase says judge Dorin Popovich wittingly passed judgments illegally and should be held accountable in accordance with article 307 of the Penal Code.