In the first sitting of the new Government on Wednesday, PM Viorica Dancila has stated that she had informed since Monday night she doesn’t want anymore the protection provided by the Protection and Guard Service (SPP), with legal formalities under way.
“For there are speculations in the public space, I would like to announce that I have informed SPP since Monday evening that I don’t want to benefit of their protection. I understand that all ministers have the same option. We’ll carry out legal formalities in this respect. I have no problem with the SPP officers or with the institution, I respect their work, but this is my decision,” Dancila said.
Political sources reported on Tuesday that Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă and the cabinet ministers renounced the services provided by the Protection and Guard Service (SPP), amid allegations made by the PSD leader Liviu Dragnea to the SPP head, Lucian Pahonţu.
The decision would have, however, adverse results.
Former Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE) chief Claudiu Saftoiu is quoted by realitatea.net as saying that the decision of the Government to renounce the SPP services could lead to serious vulnerabilities of national security. He says the decision leads to seeing it as a deliberate act to weaken the national security and defence system.
“SPP’s role is to ensure the integrity of dignitaries during the mandate. According to the ‘National plan for information priorities’ approved by the Supreme Defence Council, SPP is ready to prevent, along with SRI, SIE and the directorates DGIPI and DGIA, possible hostile operations against the activity of ministers. They are serving the citizen and the Romanian state, as they have sworn. They do not serve a political party. The ministers, state secretaries benefit from classified information, issued by the information services upon request. The protection of these people, who hold secret documents, is compulsory, through the SPP. If the Government renounces the SPP services, we will witness the birth of ‘a parallel state’ built up actually around the group near Liviu Dragnea. This is not at all for the national interest, on the contrary,” Claudiu Saftoiu said, according to realitatea.net.