On Tuesday the committee for the exercise of parliamentary control over the activity of the Romanian Intelligent Service (SRI) gave the green light for Eduard Hellvig to be appointed as director of SRI. Hellvig got 7 votes in favor and only one against. The hearing took place behind closed doors.
The meeting was attended by all committee’s members, except for MP Sebastian Ghita, who is subject to legal restrictions pending trial in the EU funds embezzlement case in which PM Ponta’s brother-in-law was placed under preventive arrest.
Ghita resigned from PSD in November 2014, but he remained in the social democrat group of the Chamber of Deputies.
Asked on Monday if he will ask Ghita’s withdrawal from the SRI committee, PM Ponta said this topic is to be tackled in the next joint session of the Parliament.
Hellvig confirms special personal relation with former SRI head, George Maior
Eduard Hellvig said after his hearing in Parliament that he had met former SRI director George Maior before the presidential elections, but it was not an official meeting involving the institution.
Questioned to comment Elena Udrea’s accusations against him that he would have gone to the SRI HQs during the electoral presidential campaign where he met deputy director Florian Coldea and would have known that Klaus Iohannis was not going to be declared incompatible, Hellvig answered: “I don’t want to comment Elena Udrea’s allegations (….) There have been meetings, between me and ex-director George Maior, but there were discussions related to values that both share, about books and other things that had no direct connection to the Romanian Intelligence Service as institution. It was obviously a personal relation. We know each other for many years. We both have been lawmakers. It is not an institutional relationship, but a personal one.”
As for his future mandate at the helm of SRI, Hellvig said that he doesn’t intend now to replace the deputy directors of the Service, but added he wanted to assess their activity. He also said he forecast the adoption of Big Brother law package, related to cyber security in three to six months, as it President Iohannis’ mediation is needed, as well as ensuring a balance between rights and liberties.
In another train of thoughts, Hellvig mentioned that the future statute of SRI director represents “a major” change upon his future and his family. “It is a financial shift. I confirm I had this type of talks at home. My wife is not very happy about the change,” he unveiled, referring that he would earn less as SRI director than he used to as MEP.
Hellvig also said that he would quit PNL and European Parliament as soon as he took office at the helm of the Romanian Intelligence Service.