Senator Tariceanu on corruption prosecutors' accusing him: Yet another political ploy

Senate President Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, national leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE), claims that the effects of him being accused by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) of bribery are aimed at "shaking up public trust," given that in recent polls he has surpassed incumbent President Klaus Iohannis by two percent, and the vote intention for ALDE should have doubled since 2016. 

Tariceanu argues that the accusations levelled against him are a "political ploy" that attempts to "get him out of the race." 

"It is again a political ploy, as it is seen lately, meaning for years: actions by which a number of political leaders want to be taken out of contention. I was charged with false testimony two years ago and I was being called and recalled to the prosecutor's office, then to courts, only to get acquitted. They saw that they did not go away with that, then they said well, we try something else, and that is the second ploy that fits the previous line," Tariceanu told Romania TV private broadcaster. 

He also said that the move was taking place ahead of next year's elections to the European Parliament and the presidential election. 

"When such accusations go public, I am wondering what happens to that citizens who are looking at these things, who have this information. So the technique they use is the one they have tested: accusations are being levelled in the public space; such allegations are terrible things, like in the present case: you cannot defend yourself because you do not know what's in the court file and people will think, ?well, if they say so on TV, probably there is something about it.' What is the effect? Well, the effect is obvious at the moment, when the latest polls - and I saw [pollster] Marius Pieleanu this week talking about his latest poll in which I am ahead of the incumbent president by two percentage points, which means popularity, support; I do not know exactly what it measured, surely such action can be said that it does affect you because the people's trust is shaken, it is affected. I am surprised, however, that they are trying so valiantly, but for what? The elections to the European Parliament in May next year and the presidential election next year nearing in - keep in mind that the vote intention for the party I run alongside my colleagues has doubled since the 2016 elections; these things cannot be ignored," added Tariceanu. 

The ALDE leader also said that "prosecutors are the ones who decide who is taken out of the race." 

"There are some vested interests somewhere, there are people; does not what has been seen, what has emerged lately, make us think? That is, we are talking of independent justice ... (...) I said it is the republic of prosecutors, the prosecutors are those who decide, in the end they decide who wins the election, who is taken out of contention, because they do not have to decide at the ballot box, it is enough for them to remove the opponents and solve the problem, the winner is the one who is supposed to be. Therefore, this is justice at this moment," said Tariceanu. 

Asked if he will run for president, Tariceanu answered "we shall see," but he said he did not rule out such a candidacy. 

"Let's see, we talk until then. (...) Why should I exclude that, I'm not afraid of that," concluded Tariceanu. 

The National Anti-Corruption Directorate claims that Tariceanu indirectly received, during the period 2007-2008, when he was a prime minister, material benefits of about 800,000 US dollars from an Austrian company.