Romanian PM who is suspect in corruption probe says he will stay on to ensure stability
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Romania's prime minister says he considered resigning after being informed that he was a suspect in a corruption probe but decided to stay on to ensure political stability.
Victor Ponta said Tuesday the resignation of his government would cause a "political crisis ... of three, four, five months."
Parliament is to vote Tuesday on whether to lift his immunity protection for the corruption probe. His center-left government faces a vote of no-confidence on Friday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On June 5, anti-corruption prosecutors said Ponta was suspected of corruption charges including being an accomplice to tax evasion from 2007 to 2008 while serving in Parliament, a conflict of interest and money laundering.
Ponta told foreign media Tuesday he would cooperate with prosecutors and denied wrongdoing, adding that he would have resigned if he were a minister
President Klaus Iohannis, a political rival, called on Ponta to resign last week. Iohannis said he would prefer the whole government to resign, not just Ponta.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ponta told journalists that the political crisis was an "an unexpected gift" for Russia which has cool relations with Romania.