(BUCHAREST) - Romania's justice minister said Monday he had decided to replace the tough head of the anti-corruption directorate DNA, despite Brussels' stated wish that he remain in his post.

Daniel Morar, 42, saw his three-year contract run out on Monday and was to be succeeded by Monica Serbanescu, who has worked at the Bucharest prosecutor's office and at the DNA, Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu said.

"I will propose that Mr. Morar become either a high representative for the justice ministry at the European Commission or number two at the DNA," he added.

With these two nominations, "we will be able to combine Mr. Morar's experience, credibility and determination with the balance that Mrs Serbanescu can bring to this position," the minister noted.

"Our goal is to receive a positive report on our justice system from Brussels in December 2008 and the lifting of monitoring mechanisms in July 2009," Predoiu also said.

Morar however replied in a DNA statement that he "was not considering any of the proposals concerning him," in reference to Predoiu's comments.

Under Morar, the DNA launched investigations against eight former or current ministers, including former prime minister Adrian Nastase.

These provoked a storm of criticism from the opposition as well as the ruling National Liberal Party (PNL), which accused him of "politicising the justice system."

The European Commission, on the other hand, repeatedly expressed its support for the DNA chief, noting that it was crucial to have "institutional stability in investigations targeting high-level corruption."

"Reconfirming the head of the DNA in his position will be a test of the Romanian authorities' commitment" to fighting corruption, the commission spokesman Mark Gray recently said.

With Brussels backing Morar while many of his PNL colleagues were asking for the DNA chief's head, Predoiu kept his decision secret until the very last moment.

He justified it by saying that keeping Morar in place could have antagonised parliament, leading it to "vote to dismantle the DNA."

Deputies have been blocking for months investigations against those ministers accused of corruption and currently in parliament, prompting criticism from President Traian Basescu and the European Commission.

Basescu must still confirm the nomination of a new head of the DNA.

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