BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romania's anti-corruption agency says about 36,000 people have been wiretapped during anti-corruption investigation in the last decade.
The National Anti-Corruption Directorate was responding Saturday to claims made by Premier Viorica Dancila to European lawmakers that Romania's secret services had tapped "millions of Romanians," suggesting the agency had overreached in prosecuting graft.
The agency said it had been granted mandates to intercept 36,400 people in the past 11 years. It said it was releasing the information because of suspicions that millions had been under surveillance as part of Romania's efforts to fight graft.
Dancila took part in a European Parliament panel this week to discuss the rule of law.
The government is undertaking a contentious overhaul of the judiciary that critics say will make it harder to tackle endemic graft.
