Gill Julien Grigore-Iacobici, the only one refused by the president at the top of the Judiciary. How Nicușor Dan motivates

President Nicușor Dan conveys that he refused to appoint Gill-Julien Grigore-Iacobici, negatively approved by the CSM, to the position of deputy chief prosecutor of DIICOT for which he applied because he does not respect “the highest standards of credibility”.

The Presidential Administration transmitted, in an official statement issued today, that the president signed the appointment decrees for:

• Cristina Chiriac in the position of general prosecutor of the Prosecutor's Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, for a period of 3 years, starting on April 15, 2026;
• Ioan-Viorel Cerbu in the position of chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate, for a period of 3 years, starting on April 15, 2026;
• Codrin-Horațiu Miron in the position of chief prosecutor of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism, for a period of 3 years, starting on April 15, 2026;
• Marius-Ionuț Voineag in the position of deputy general prosecutor of the Prosecutor's Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, for a period of 3 years, starting on June 30, 2026;
• Marius-Ionel Stefan in the position of deputy chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate, for a period of 3 years, starting on April 15, 2026;
• Marinela Minca in the position of deputy chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate, for a period of 3 years, starting on June 30, 2026;
• Alex-Florin Florence in the position of deputy chief prosecutor of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism, for a period of 3 years, starting on April 15, 2026.

As he stated in the press conference on Wednesday evening, the head of state refused to appoint Gill-Julien Grigore-Iacobici as deputy head of DIICOT. The appointment procedure shows that the president can refuse, with reasons, proposals from the Ministry of Justice.

Nicușor Dan's explanations

In his motivation, Nicușor Dan says that DIICOT's credibility in front of society and institutional actors and external partners is “essential for achieving the institution's objectives, as well as for respecting the principles of the rule of law”.

He also says that the position of Deputy Chief Prosecutor of DIICOT, for which Iacobici is running, “implies, by its very nature, a high standard of integrity, in the sense that the person exercising it must not raise any doubts regarding his ability to exercise management duties without influences, conflicts of interest or vulnerabilities likely to affect the credibility of the institution”.

The president justifies the refusal by the fact that, following the analysis, he found that “a series of issues, some of which have been established by final court rulings, have appeared in the public space, which could affect the standard of institutional credibility of DIICOT and which could influence the objective and impartial performance of the duties provided for by law”.

Who is Gill-Julien Grigore-Iacobici?

Gill Julien Grigore-Iacobici was a prosecutor in the Prosecutor's Office attached to the Constanța Court of Appeal. In three asset declarations he wrote that he received donations from his in-laws – for example, in 2024, he received a donation of 420,000 lei, the equivalent of 84,000 euros. His mother-in-law is one of the richest mayors in the country.

In the appointment proposal, Minister Radu Marinescu indicated, in the case of Gill Julien Grigore-Iacobici, that he has “vast professional training and a great deal of experience, both in executive positions and in management positions”.

However, Gill Julien Grigore-Iacobici's family ties have attracted attention.

His mother-in-law, Gabriela Iacobici, is one of the longest-serving PSD mayors in Constanța county, leading Grădina commune since 2008. Gabriela Iacobici is also one of the richest mayors in Romania. Snoop revealed that she owns over 3,000 hectares of farmland in Constanța County.

Prosecutor Grigore-Iacobici's wife, Sonia, and his father-in-law, Ioan Iacobici, were definitively convicted in 2015 for fraud with European funds.

The two were accused by the DNA of using or presenting false, inaccurate or incomplete statements which results in the unjustified obtaining of funds from the general budget of the European Communities or from the budgets administered by them or on their behalf and forgery in documents under private signature.

The damage caused to the Ministry of Agriculture was assessed at 2 million lei.

After the case was moved from Constanța to Galați, Ion Iacobici and his daughter each received three years of suspended prison terms.

What's next now?

After Nicușor Dan's refusal, the procedure regarding the appointment of a deputy head at DIICOT is resumed. Thus, the Ministry of Justice will restart the selection procedure for the position of deputy chief prosecutor of DIICOT.

Aspiring prosecutors will register to apply, then interview before a Justice Ministry panel.

After the results of the interviews are published, the Ministry of Justice will send the proposal to the CSM. Then, the CSM members will approve, positively or negatively, the candidate. If the opinion is negative, the prosecutor will hold a new interview at the Ministry of Justice, after which the minister will decide whether or not to keep his proposal. If he keeps it, he will send the proposal to Nicușor Dan.