Latest news: The chairman of the Defense committee in the Senate (Romanian Parliament’s upper chamber), Marcel Vela, has announced on Monday that he would invite PSD chair Liviu Dragnea for hearings, to present evidence related to the accusations that he and other PSD members are launching against SPP head, Lucian Pahontu. The members of the Government and the SPP director will be also invited for hearings.
Chairman of the Social Democrat Party has stated on Sunday evening that he has no SPP (Protection and Guard Service) protection for he doesn’t trust the SPP head. Dragnea argued that the way Lucian Pahontu is acting “represents a national security issue”, and President Iohannis is the only one who can take a decision in this respect.
“I haven’t benefitted of the SPP protection, cars and other facilities since I have been Chamber speaker, I turned down since the beginning of my term due to a very serious ground: I don’t trust the head of this institution, Mr. Pahontu, for I know he has been outside his field for several years, he has been using this institution for some years to collect information, on one hand, and, on the other hand, to try to influence members of the Government, of the political parties, and he even succeeded sometimes,” Dragnea told RTV private broadcaster.
Dragnea stated that the SPP head used to go to prosecutor’s offices and talk to prosecutors and judges to send them certain messages.
“I know he had a very damaging practice in the previous years, I have no information that he is done with these practices, that he used to go to the prosecutor’s offices and courts and talk to judges, prosecutors, sending them certain messages. All those whom I talked to said that most of the messages practically came from him, but he used to say they come from presidents, from the previous president and incumbent one,” Dragnea said.
The SocDem leader added that not even president Klaus Iohannis is properly protected by SPP. “I think president Iohannis is neither protected. As Pahontu is not raising information for president Iohannis , his direct chief, and his main duty is to mainly take care of the Romanian president’s protection and of the dignitaries, it means that he uses this information for somebody else and for other purposes, it means he is not just taking care of the protection but also of other things that Romania’s president doesn’t know. This is a matter of national security, not the fact that I or the premier, the ministers don’t have SPP protection,” Dragnea said.
Moreover, the PSD chairman revealed that “people from SPP” assigned to the dignitaries are compelled to make a report in the evening.
In his view, president Iohannis is the one who can take actions in this case, by the current law, adding that PSD has no intention in taking SPP or STS from the Presidency’s authority.
Dragnea accuses ex-PM Ponta of being among informants at DNA
Liviu Dragnea accused former PM and PSD chairman Victor Ponta that he is among informants in the files investigated by the National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA).
„I know the informants in the files. Sova (ex-minister Dan Sova), Ponta (ex-PM Victor Ponta), Nitulescu and more others. I don’t want to make them VIPs,” Dragnea told RTV.
He also announced that he had filed a complaint to the DNA on the ground that prosecutors had refused to give him an electronic copy of his file.
Dragnea argued that prosecutors will give him the documents on paper, but the expenses to xerox them are extremely high compared to his incomes. PSD chairman claims that his only income is the salary as Chamber speaker, while xeroxing the DNA file would cost RON 100,000.
In retort, ex-premier Victor Ponta says Dragnea is lying, announcing he will ask DNA an official document to reveal his quality in Dragnea’s file and if Dragnea can provide a copy of Ponta’s denunciation, he will resign from the Parliament.
„I publicly propose Dragnea the following thing: if he brings a copy of my (alleged) denunciation, I resign from the Parliament on the same day and I will withdraw from politics. But, if I give him an official document certifying that I am a simple witness in his case (just like Teodorovici, Grindeanu, etc), and I have never made any denunciation against him, then he will resign from the Parliament and from PSD,” Ponta posted on Facebook.
Liviu Dragnea also retorted on Monday afternoon, calling Ponta “an informant and a blackmailer”, arguing the request Ponta is filing to DNA to inquire about his quality in the Dragnea’s file is actually “a criminal complaint” and has been “cooked up upon the advice of the two friends” Ponta is having inside DNA.
Asked if he resigns if Ponta proves he hasn’t turned him down at DNA, Dragnea replied: “I don’t like chatting with informants or with blackmailers”.
The SocDem chairman claims that Ponta’s request to DNA has been “cooked up upon the advice of the two friends Ponta has inside DNA” and that it is actually “a criminal complaint where the former premier accuses Dragnea “of intimidating the witnesses”.
“I am sorry to tell him, he has no idea what he has got into,” Dragnea added.
Unconstitutional articles of the justice laws to be amended
The Chamber speaker, Liviu Dragnea, has also announced on Sunday evening that the articles in the justice laws which had been declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court of Romania will be amended in Parliament.
“The justice laws have been adopted in Parliament. The articles that CCR declared unconstitutional will be amended. The other articles have been declared constitutional, which is very important,” Dragnea told RTV private broadcaster.
He stated that the legislation must provide conditions so that judges cannot be “directly or indirectly” influenced.
Dragnea argued that there has been too much information lately revealing that some magistrates have taken some decisions “under certain influences”.
New pension law, available in two months at the most
According to the PSD chair, the new pension draft law will be under public debate in two months at the most, arguing the government must find the best schedule so that this financial effort, which is “pretty large, but necessary” should be put into force.