Romanian PM Calin Popescu Tariceanu stood against a recent Senate vote threatening the existence of a newly established anti-graft judicial institution again on Tuesday, but turned his eye on the ranks of his own government. Mainly, on the minister most appreciated for the fight against corruption over the last 12 months.

Tariceanu criticized Justice minister Monica Macovei – who has pushed hard for the law on the creation of the National Anti-Corruption Department (DNA) – for not doing enough in following the legislative route of the ordinance issued in this regard last year.

He also blamed his minister for the parliamentarian relations, Bogdan Olteanu, for failing to inform the government on what happened with this specific piece of legislation.

DNA was established by governmental ordinance last year as a new face with more muscle of the former National Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. But the ordinance – which offers the DNA the power to investigate parliamentarians under graft allegations – failed to become law when the Senate voted against it last week.

The Romanian civil society and a series of foreign diplomats have expressed concern about the rejection and warned it may impede the overall fight against high corruption in Romania.

The prime minister warned Macovei to further analyze the law in order to guarantee that the establishment of the DNA cannot be challenged before the Constitutional Court.