The chief prosecutor who sent about a thousand corruption officials to prison

Koves added that over the past year, over 3,800 corruption cases have been finalised and 159.5m euros seized, the IndexOnline broadcast.

“A third of the defendants committed fraud by EU funds, often with EU funds earmarked for rural areas in poor communities”, Koves said during an event where DNA reviewed their results in 2017.

Speaking of last year's investigations, Koves said prosecutors discovered hospital managers who took bribes from product suppliers and medical services. The benefits worth millions of euros are thus taken,” said the DNA chief prosecutor.

At the same time, DNA prosecutors removed 713 sentences, including four lawmakers, 28 heads and 30 heads of state institutions and companies. Some trials were years old. Hundreds of former judges and prosecutors have also been brought to justice, with a penalty rate of over 90%. In 2015, 12 MPs, including ministers, were investigated. “We have investigated two ministers, one of whom went directly from work to detention”, Köves said.

As a result of the 2015 annual DNA review, Köves said 431m euros in bribery was the amount given in cases presented at the tribunal.

Victor Ponta, former prime minister of Romania and the government's top official under DNA investigation and prosecution, accused Kövess of being “a completely non-professional prosecutor trying to make a name, inventing and imagined facts and lying situations 10 years ago”. These comments were posted on his Facebook page, following his indictment on charges of counterfeiting, money laundering and tax evasion filed against him by the DNA.

Chief prosecutor Koves was finally dismissed from office, arguing that she had overstepped her authority and damaged the image of the Romanian state abroad. This attracted thousands of protesters in Romania.

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