Laura Kovesi, criticized for signing with the magistrates by one of the most famous Romanian journalists, returned to the country after spending 20 years in New Zealand. “Absolute Cynicism”

Sergiu Toader, former head of ProTV news, Antena 1 and Realitatea TV, says that the goal is not to clean up the judiciary. “A gang of scumbags fighting another gang of scumbags.”

“Laura Codruța Kovesi's gesture of 'standing in solidarity' with the magistrates who denounce today's abuses is absolutely cynical,” wrote Toader, in an analysis text on the Substack platform.

“The Recorder documentary, as useful as it was (because it brought back to the public's attention the mechanisms of underground power in justice) is a completely unbalanced journalistic product. Because it does not say everything and because it sells new old tricks as a commodity, avoiding the serious, structural problems of justice. It does not say, for example, that today's “reformists” did exactly what they are now denouncing others, that they themselves were at the mercy of another set of politicians”, believes Toader.

Back in the country as a consultant to Sasha Dragic from Superbet

Journalist Sergiu Toader returned to Romania, after two decades in New Zealand, an experience he frequently reported on social networks. He also had a restaurant in New Zealand where he worked, together with his wife.

Toader returned at the end of 2025, through a media consultancy contract concluded with the Dragic foundation, of Sasha Dragic, the businessman who owns, among other things, the largest gambling company in Romania, Superbet, but also businesses in insurance and real estate.

The former head of news at the most important TV channels in Romania will do an analysis of the media market and possibly launch a new product, according to Toader and Dragic's statements to Pagina de Media.

“Eternal Predoiu will lead the reform of the disaster that he also shepherded”

Sergiu Toader believes that “in the Romanian political-judicial equation there are no positive characters, only players who want power”.

He claims that the “Savonea network” wants to keep control of the justice system, while “the “reformist” network wants to recapture it”, and “politicians want what they always wanted: not to end up in front of justice themselves, but to be able to send their opponents there”.

“Bolojan cannot dismiss anyone “for the past”, so the eternal Predoiu will lead the reform of the disaster that he also shepherded for years. The Minister of Justice invokes the PNRR, and that's it! Everyone, absolutely everyone, plays for themselves, not for the Romanians. But the victims are always the same, Romanian citizens and bona fide magistrates, those who want to do their job and who are crushed by the system”, added Sergiu Toader.

“You can't 'free' something that was designed from the start to be captive”

Sergiu Toader claims that “Romanian justice is not and has not been captured”, but “was built from the very beginning as a captive instrument of power”.

“The difference is crucial. Because you can't 'free' something that was designed from the start to be captive. You can't 'reform' something that works exactly as it was designed to work,” Toader wrote.

He says that this system was “outlined in 1997, when special pensions for magistrates first appeared”, and was “consolidated in 2004, when Adrian Năstase, Viorel Hrebenciuc and the late Rodica Stănoiu drew the architecture of power through the judiciary”.

“A system defended tooth and nail by all those who came to power: PSD, PNL, USR. Since the Revolution, the judicial system has functioned as a political sledgehammer; whoever holds it in his hand, hits; whoever is hit, remains silent, endures and then disappears!”, added Sergiu Toader.

“Now, in 2025, the log is held by the Savonea network”

The media consultant claims that currently “the log is held by the Savonea network”.

“The methods have only been technologically “modernized”; instead of yellow envelopes, we have mobile phones. Instead of spectacular arrests, we have procrastinations until the facts are prescribed. Instead of the “anti-corruption fight”, we have the “protection of colleagues”, he added.

Sergiu Toader believes that the Recorder documentary was useful, because it “brought back to public opinion the mechanisms of underground power in justice”, but “it is a completely unbalanced journalistic product”, which “fails to contextualise”.

“Because he doesn't say everything and because he sells new old tricks as a commodity, avoiding the serious, structural problems of justice. He doesn't say, for example, that today's “reformists” did exactly what they are now denouncing others, that they themselves were at the mercy of another set of politicians,” Toader added.

Sergiu Toader, about Kovesi: “Now this person stands up as a defender of the independence of the judiciary?”

Toader says that the former head of the DNA publicly admitted in 2014 that she arrested Judge Mustață to change the panel that judged the ICA File, and now “she stands up as a defender of the independence of the judiciary”.

“Ms. Kovesi is the one who admitted publicly – mind you, publicly! – that she arrested a judge to change the panel that was judging the ICA Case. “It was an important moment in this case,” she said in August 2014, nonchalantly explaining that Judge Mustața had been “monitored” and arrested because there was a “risk” that he would never finish the case. So the head of the DNA admitted that she arrested a judge to change the panel. And now this person stand in defense of the independence of justice?”, added Sergiu Toader.

He stated ironically that for those in power, justice “is good when it hits the opponent”, but “it is abuse when it hits you”.

“The PSD applauded the DNA when it caught liberals. The PNL applauded when the DNA took care of the pesedists, and the USR applauded when the colleagues from the two parties were “legally suffering”. Obviously, they all shouted “dictatorship”, “abuse”, exactly at the moment when their own people came into view. That's how it is with captive justice: it's good when it hits the opponent, it's abuse when it hits you”, continued Sergiu Toader.

“The 'Second December Revolution' will not take place!”

Sergiu Toader praised those who come out to protest, but believes that, “just like in December 1989, genuine gestures of courage will be confiscated by those who know how to take advantage”.

“Just as the National Salvation Front confiscated the sacrifice of those who fell in the Revolution, so the gang of “reformists”, i.e. exactly those who created the DNA-SRI binomial, will confiscate the legitimate indignation of the Romanians. Not to do justice, but to regain control of the stick! Mrs. Raluca Moroșanu stood up to her bosses with a lot of courage. But the opportunists are already crowding behind her reign. The abuses of some are no different from the abuses of others,” he added.

Toader is of the opinion that the Romanians who take to the streets should demand “the change of the rules of the game, not of a single head”, and the introduction of “impersonal, verifiable, impossible-to-confiscate mechanisms”.