Justice Minister Florin Iordache stated on Wednesday that the people who protested in Bucharest against the draft ordinance regarding the pardon of some sentences are not correctly informed, and, considering the situation created, a State Secretary will go and talk with the people protesting on the street.
"I have sent tonight a State Secretary, I have talked with the Government's Secretary General and a State Secretary will go to talk with the people, because it looks to me that these people are not correctly informed. From our point of view it is a legal prerogative of the Government to be able to do this. I believe that people came out and protested because of lack of information," Florin Iordache stated on Antena 3 private television station.
When asked about the negative reactions on this subject, Iordache stated that the reason for which they appeared could be related to "misinformation" in respect to the content of the draft ordinance regarding pardon.
"We expect opposite points of view, not everybody has to agree, but I have seen that there are certain anomalies and malfunctions and this is why we are trying to straighten them. There are many more issues that have to be amended in the upcoming period," the Minister added.
The Justice Minister explained that pardon also was enforced in 1998 and in 2001, and Romania currently has 19,000 detention places, but it counts 28,000 prisoners.
When asked if Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Liviu Dragnea could be one of the people benefiting from the draft regarding pardon, Iordache responded as follows: "Certainly not. In his case the execution of the sentence is suspended. Laws and ordinances are not made for people. We talk about offenses. If you take a clear look at the offenses which are stipulated, he has no benefit from it.