The criminal vice prime minister of Romania is about to lose his political position he is in the habit of using to see to his personal business. Prosecutors from the National Anti-Corruption Department are getting ready to press charges against this top member of the Conservative Party. In his interview to ZIUA Copos says he knows the Constitution and swore to respect it. When the reporter read article 109 for him - "charges pressed against a member of the government call for his/her suspension" -, Copos's cell phone battery went out all of a sudden. All this is what Copos claimed. He called back half an hour later to read the first part of article 109, settling criminal inquiry procedures, a stage he went through. Anyway, the vice PM wanted to emphasize he was not fond of his official chair and all he did was for the sake of Romania's accession to the EU. Prosecutors presented the criminal inquiry material to him and the indictment is to be completed before charging him. Copos refused to sign the material, claming it was illegal. The vice PM is charged with continuous fiscal evasion reaching 1 million Euro, used for the fishy business he had at the Romanian Lottery's expense. (...) George Copos: I swore to respect the Constitution Rep.: Mr. Copos, I understand that today you have been presented the criminal inquiry material and prosecutors are to draw the indictment and send it to court. G.C.: These are the usual procedures. Rep.: I understand you have refused to sign the written statement.... G.C.: Yes, I have, because I think it is illegal. Rep.: I see, Therefore you are about to be sued... G.C.: I don't know. Since you know better than I do... Maybe. Rep.: When you are presented the criminal inquiry material and the indictment is completed, it is sent to court. G.C.: I know all the procedures in the Criminal Code. But I don't think this can be done overnight. Thorough analysis is needed, because we asked for financial expertise to prove that all we did was respect the Romanian legislation. Rep.: I see. If you are sued, you will also be suspected as vice prime minister. The Constitution has it... G.C.: If you know the Constitution better than I do, then... Rep.: Yes, I have just taken a look. I have read it because... G.C.: Read it once again. Rep.: Wait a minute! I can read it to you too, if you want. G.C.: In case you are driving, I think you shouldn't jeopardize pedestrians. Rep.: I am not driving. I am in the newspaper offices. G.C.: I don't know... No. I know the Constitution very well. And I swore to respect it. Rep.: Article 109 in the Constitution has it: "charges pressed against a member of the government calls for suspending him/her from official position." Therefore you are a member of the government, and if you get suspended.... The dialogue stopped at this point and the reporter could no longer hear George Copos. The vice PM called back half an hour later, saying his cell phone battery went out. The Conservative mentioned that all the Constitution said was that government members could be suspended only if they were charged with crimes committed during their official mandate. Copos reminded the reporter that he was fond neither of power nor of his official position. The politician repeated that all he wanted was use his experience to help Romania join the EU. In the end he admitted that, in case he was sued, he would think about resigning.