Supreme Court of Justice denies statements attributed to former judge Dorin Popovich

Patricia Bejenaru, spokeswoman for the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ), denies that former judge Dorin Popovich, in the March 23 meeting of the Supreme Council of Magistrates, said he tried legal cases opened against participants in the April 2009 events at a police station with the approval of his superiors, including the president of the Buiucani Court, former chairman of the Supreme Council of Magistrates Nicolae Clima and SCJ president Ion Muruianu. A communique published on the SCJ's website says the video recordings of that meeting show Dorin Popovich did not make such statements. On the contrary, he denied having received instructions to examine the cases concerning the April 7, 2009 protests. “Contacted by phone, Dorin Popovich said he never made the statements attributed to him, stressing the given information is not true,” Patricia Bejenaru said. On July 7, the Institute for Human Rights issued a communique, quoted by Info-Prim Neo, which says in the March 23 meeting of the Supreme Council of Magistrates, Dorin Popovich said he went to the police station (of Buiucani district – e.n.) to try cases after discussing with the president of the Buiucani court and other officials and obtaining the approval of the former chairman of the Supreme Council of Magistrates Nicolae Clima and current president of the Supreme Court of Justice Ion Muruianu.