The Senate and the Chamber of Deputies have given favourable votes for the setting up of the Parliamentary Committee to investigate the Guard and Protection Service (SPP) Director, Lucian Pahontu’s activity and on the way he allegedly involved the institution in activities exceeding the legal framework.
The decision was made with 225 votes in favour and 106 against.
The committee will investigate SPP’s complying to the orders, the communication on orders according to military rules, the influence over political decisions, SPP’s involvement in activities exceeding the legal framework of the institution and will conduct checks on the SPP’s reports during the past five years.
The committee will have 15 members: 7 from PSD, 3 from PNL, one from USR, UDMR, ALDE, PMP, minorities each. The committee’s chairman will be from PSD, the Vice-chairman from PNL and the committee’s secretary from ALDE.
The decision comes following the allegation brought by PSD leader Liviu Dragnea against SPP’s Lucian Pahontu regarding his political involvement.
Dragnea told Antena 3 TV private broadcaster in late January that Pahontu “has been involved in the Tudose Government more than it’s necessary”. Dragnea even claimed that Pahontu would have told Paul Stanescu (deputy PM) that Dragnea would be “executed” “sometime in March”.
“Mr. Paul Stanescu was told that I would be executed somewhere in March and he (Stanescu) can be the PSD chairman. Maybe the same thing has been told to Grindeanu, Tudose, I don’t know,” Dragnea said.
Dragnea had attacked Pahontu before, accusing last year the SPP head of trying to recruit PSD members, calling him “the postman from Cotroceni”, or “a poisonous character”.
Moreover, deputy PM Paul Stanescu confirmed that SPP director Lucian Pahontu had informed him “through a friend” that it would be better if he collaborates, for he will benefit of protection, as Liviu Dragnea will be ‘executed’ by March the latest and that he might eventually take over the party’s helm.
Stanescu said he had told Pahontu, through the same friend, that the SPP head had mistaken the address.
“I said: please tell him (Pahontu) that he has completely mistaken the address. I don’t know who is Pahontu, never met him in my life. I have never thought of taking over the party. I don’t think SPP is to blame here, but certain people are and it’s unforgivable something like that should be told, I was deputy PM, this means a serious attempt against democracy,” Stanescu said.