Codruţa Kovesi, heard for plagiarism allegations

Romanian prosecutor general Laura Codruţa Kovesi, went Friday morning at the National Council of Ethics where was to be heard in connection with allegations of plagiarism in her doctoral thesis, Agerpres informs.

"I sent a point of view, I've shown willingness to be heard.

"I sent a point of view that I have attached not only arguments, but also clear evidence proving that I have not plagiarized and wait to be asked, to be heard," said Laura Codruţa Kovesi.

When she was asked what she would do if the National Council of Ethics decided that she plagiarized, Laura Codruţa Kovesi said the Council has no way to come to a different conclusion except she did not plagiarize.

Laura Codruţa Kovesi also said that she requested CSM "to postpone reputation defense by the time the Commission will decide".

"The Commission has at its disposal 90 days, as provided for in the law. I hope this verdict to be given as soon as possible.

" When the verdict will be given, I will make public my point of view and all the evidence and I point out that the allegations which have been made are not true," said Laura Codruţa Kovesi.

"People that are saying I plagiarized, I have been cited in their books"

Last week, the National Council of Ethics made a preliminary examination of the documents from the notification of plagiarism charges of the Ph. D.General Prosecutor of Romania.

In a broadcast on private television last week, Laura Codruţa Kovesi said that she did not plagiarize anyone and any work.

"Those who have made these defamatory accusations have not checked two simple matters: first, that I published very much as Lascu, because I was unmarried before I was known as attorney general and second-all the articles that I have published on this segment of activity and that appear in the thesis were published in the magazine" Dreptul", which is not on the internet just to protect the copyright" said Laura Codruţa Kovesi.

The general prosecutor of Romania also said that a large part of the paragraphs which argues that she would have plagiarized from people who've written in 2008 or 2009 are paragraphs which have been published since 2002.

"People who say I plagiarized and copied from their book, they cited me in their book with previously published articles" explained Laura Codruţa Kovesi.


Translated by
Denisse-Meda Bucura
MTTLC, Bucharest University