Unprecedented appeal: the reason why judge Raluca Moroșanu says that “Lia Savonea must leave the judiciary”

Raluca Moroșanu, from the Bucharest Court of Appeal (CAB), said that he saw “black in front of his eyes” when he was told that the judges were called to the press conference organized by the court management on Thursday to support “those who terrorize us”. “At that moment, I thought, look what they're doing, they're holding a press conference just like Ceaușescu on December 21,” the judge declared in an interview for the Recorder, in which she brings several accusations to the current CAB leadership and also criticizes the president of the High Court, Lia Savonea, whom she says “must leave the judiciary”, not only the head of the Supreme Court.

The departure from the magistracy of the head of the ÎCCJ, Lia Savonea, is, in the opinion of judge Raluca Moroșanu from the CAB, necessary. She told the Recorder that Savonea had amassed so much power “that some are frightened and others become like her”.

“I saw black before my eyes”

The judge said in the interview given to Recorder that “it was perfectly true” what her colleague Laurentiu Beșu said in the documentary “Captured Justice” and that was the moment when she thought she had to do something.

Then, the president of the First Criminal Section of the CAB called her to the conference organized by the court management on Thursday.

“Honestly, I saw black in front of my eyes. In other words, we are called to support them, we are called to support those who, as I said, terrorize us”, said Raluca Moroșanu.

“My colleagues are still afraid and I think I have to do something. If I still started the first step, I think it would be good to continue,” she added, explaining what prompted her to give this interview, after the “short” message she had delivered in the conference on Thursday.

“Basically, we are employees of an SRL, where the boss determines what he wants”

Raluca Moroșanu claims that the “legislative changes that occurred in 2022” have led to a situation where “almost all power is in the hands of the court president, who also appoints the vice-presidents and section presidents, practically all of them, in Romanian, are their own people”.

“Before, let's say, 2023, we were consulted, we were involved in the decisions of the management. Well, from the moment of 2023 and, I repeat, especially since Mrs. Liana Arsenie is president (at CAB, no), we have not been involved in any decision of the management. We are not informed of the decisions of the management board, we have no idea what is discussed and what decisions are made there. The plans are changed without our knowledge brought to our attention. Basically, we are, what can I tell you, employees of an SRL, where the boss determines what he wants and we have to obey”, added Raluca Moroșanu.

Asked if she feels that the permutations of judges are done to influence cases, she confirmed: “Yes. It is not possible – and I'm talking about Mr. Cătălin Pavel – for a man to enter the hearing to hear witnesses for a long time, and many witnesses, and then be changed from one day to the next, and you cannot come and say that this is in the interest of the court, that it is in the interest of justice. What interest? What relief from activity when the man did not ask for it something?”.

Court leadership “wants lenient colleagues with defendants”

Then, Raluca Moroșanu was asked if she feels that the current management of the court “wants judges who are lenient with the defendants”.

“I don't feel it, I know. I know that he wants colleagues who are lenient with the defendants. Because we keep being told, including we had professional training seminars where we keep being told that we have to be human. Mrs. Arsenie like that, that we have to be human, to be human, to understand the problems of the defendants”, replied Raluca Moroșanu.

“For example, we had a seminar on tax evasion, where a lady lawyer, university professor, was brought to hold the seminar, it's true, I mean I also have your books in my office, I read them, so that's not what it's about, only that during the two days of the seminar about 90% was explained to us how to acquit new defendants for tax evasion”, continued the judge.

Moroșanu claims that the head of the Bucharest Court of Appeal “came personally” to tell the magistrates at the seminar “that other alternatives to criminal charges should be found” in tax evasion cases.

“Mrs. Arsenie personally came to tell us during this seminar that tax evasion does not really exist like that, in general, and that the last resort should be the conviction of the defendants for tax evasion, that other alternatives to criminal charges should be found, that the vast majority should end up in civil, and not criminal, please, probably litigious, and that the liability of the administrators of some companies should be civil, not criminal, in the case of this act”, Raluca Moroșanu also declared.

“Lia Savonea must leave the judiciary”

Raluca Moroșanu believes that a possible replacement of Liana Arsenie from the leadership of CAB will not solve the real problem, because “someone suggested, imposed” will come to the position.

“However, as a result of this interview, it is possible that I will be excluded from the judiciary, it is of no importance to me. I say it directly and very clearly, if we want to change something, Ms. Lia Savonea must leave, not from the head of the High Court, from the entire system, she must leave the judiciary. If we only change the presidents of the courts, someone will certainly come in their place… People will be afraid, they will not run for Mrs. Arsenie, someone will always come suggested, imposed”, declared the judge.

Moroșanu: Savonea is based on political relations

Asked if Lia Savonea's power is so great, Raluca Moroșanu answered: “People, some, believe that, having these relationships in politics, she can continue to ensure their pensions, salaries, that she will intervene and solve these things, which hurt us all.”

“Your communication style is so aggressive, let's say, that some people get scared, and others become like her. Once Mrs. Savonea disappears, those you saw, who are around you, will be scared. They will be scared, they will no longer have their backs insured, so to speak,” continued Moroșanu.

About the head of the Court of Appeal

As for the president of the Bucharest Court of Appeal, Liana Arsenie, Moroșanu said that she “is firmly convinced that nothing can happen to her”.

“And he says it with subject and predicate, “I can do what I want, nothing can happen to me”. Because the system was organized in such a way that nothing can happen to it. Well, I am convinced that, when the back of, I don't know, the system disappears, we can start a real reform”, concluded Raluca Moroșanu.