The new head of DNA, Viorel Cerbu, took “Voineag's man” as his personal advisor: “I know what he can do”

Prosecutor Dumitru Constantin Călina, the personal adviser of the former head of the National Anticorruption Directorate Marius Voineag, was also elected personal adviser by the new chief prosecutor of DNA, Viorel Cerbu. When he arrived at the DNA, in 2023, Călina had three years of seniority as the titular prosecutor at the Prosecutor's Office in Craiova.

The section for prosecutors of the Superior Council of Magistracy decided on Wednesday to grant prior approval for the appointment of prosecutor Dumitru Constantin Călina to the position of adviser to the head of DNA, Viorel Cerbu. The decision was taken unanimously.

Practically, the prosecutor Viorel Cerbu took over the position of head of the DNA from April 15, and together with her he took over as personal adviser the one who held the same position for the former head of the institution, Marius Voineag.

According to the internal order regulation of the DNA, “in his activity, the chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate is assisted by two advisers appointed by his order”.

The chief prosecutor is the one who appoints and dismisses the personal advisers, needing only the prior approval of the Section for prosecutors of the CSM. The regulation does not provide for specific conditions of rank or seniority regarding the occupation of the position of advisor to the chief prosecutor of the DNA, the only specific condition being the request for the CSM's opinion.

“I know what it can do”

Contacted by HotNews, the new head of DNA, Viorel Cerbu, said that he worked for two years with prosecutor Călina and knows “what he can do”.

“I was a colleague of Mr. Călina, we were both advisers (not to the former head of the DNA Marius Voineag). We were colleagues for two years, in the same office, I know what he can do. For me, that mattered, his professionalism, the training and the ability he has to be able to help me. The other issues, what was before, everyone looks at them as they wish”, said the chief prosecutor of the DNA, Viorel Cerbu, when asked what his arguments were for keeping him in function of Călina, perceived as “Voineag's man”.

In 2023, after Marius Voineag became the head of the DNA, prosecutor Cerbu became one of his two personal advisers, later being appointed the head of the Technical Service of the DNA, and then deputy chief prosecutor. Ioan Viorel Cerbu has been working in DNA since 2004.

Who is prosecutor Dumitru Călina

Dumitru Constantin Călina was appointed prosecutor in October 2020, by decree signed by the then president Klaus Iohannis.

In 2023, at the time when he was appointed personal advisor by the former head of DNA Marius Voineag, Călina was working at the Prosecutor's Office of the Craiova Court, having three years of experience as a full-time prosecutor and two years of internship.

A year after becoming Marius Voineag's personal advisor, in September 2024, prosecutor Călina – who does not have a public CV – was promoted to the Prosecutor's Office of the Ilfov Court.

Spotmedia wrote that Dumitru Călina is the son of the former general prosecutor of Romania Bogdan Licu, current judge at the Constitutional Court. For his part, Marius Voineag is known in the system as having close relations with Bogdan Licu. In 2021, when Licu was deputy to the general prosecutor of Romania, Marius Voineag was appointed to lead the Criminal Investigation and Forensic Section of the General Prosecutor's Office, in the position of deputy.

“I had Judge Licu as my boss, I had a very good relationship with him. I am first and foremost my own man, I have my own ideas. I was constantly associated with my former bosses because I had results”, declared Marius Voineag, in 2023, in an interview for Mediafax, when asked if he considered himself “Bodan Licu's man”, as he is known in the system.

Prosecutor Călina's wealth, when he arrived at DNA: 350,000 euros in accounts

Dumitru Călina is married to judge Cristina Călina from the Bucharest Court, who was a prosecutor until 2023.

When he arrived at DNA, in 2023, prosecutor Călina had 350,000 euros, jewelry worth 45,000 euros and paintings worth 7,000 euros in his accounts, along with his wife, according to the wealth declaration from that year.

Prosecutor Călina mentioned for the year before submitting the declaration of assets income of 161,000 lei from wages, while his wife earned 125,000 lei from wages. In the same year, the Călina couple recorded in their wealth declaration that they received 175,000 lei at the child's christening party and a donation of 432,250 lei from the prosecutor's mother.

In his last declaration of public wealth, the one from 2024, prosecutor Călina reported income from salaries of 209,656 lei, and his wife, on leave to raise the child – 95,145 lei.

Prosecutor Călina mentioned in the 2024 wealth declaration that he invested 1.1 million lei in real estate, concluding preliminary contracts for the purchase of two buildings in Voluntari, and that he lent 301,000 lei to the director of the Satu Mare Pension House, Cristian Gheorghe Soponoș. In the accounts, the Călina couple had savings of 60,000 euros and 51,000 lei, as well as jewelry worth 55,000 euros.