Black Cube file concluded. Fugitive ex-intelligence officer tried to compromise Iohannis, Kovesi, Hellvig

The Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) has concluded the Black Cube file and decided to prosecute former intelligence officer Daniel Dragomir, who has recently fled the country after the prison sentence pronounced against him in another file. In the Black Cube file Dragomir is accused of setting up a criminal organized group, of instigation to illegal access to a computer system, abetting in unauthorized transfer of computer data and complicity to other illegal operations.

According to the indictment, Daniel Dragomir has attempted an action of compromising former Head of the National Anti-corruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi, president Klaus Iohannis and the director of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), Eduard Hellvig.

DIICOT says that Daniel Dragomir would have contacted a representative of Black Cube Israeli business intelligence company, telling him he wants to denigrate certain people whom he considered responsible for his prosecution by the anti-corruption prosecutors, and asking him to start the “Tornado” operation.

At the same time, Dragomir would have let the Israelis believe that the action is endorsed by the Romanian president and by the Head of the Romanian Intelligence Service.

Prosecutors claim that the indictment revealed that there is no information pointing to the involvement of any state institution in the operation ordered by Dragomir.

The former intelligence officer intended to compromise the DNA chief prosecutor back then in order to get rid of a prison sentence in a file where he later on received a final conviction.

Four Israeli citizens were investigated by DIICOT for spying on communications and for attempt to discredit Laura Codruța Kovesi.

In the spring of 2016, two Black Cube employees of Black Cube were detained in Bucharest while attempting to access the emails of former DNA chief Laura Codruta Kovesi and of her family. Two of the employees, Ron Weiner and David Geclowicz admitted their guilt in this case and received sentences on probation.

The investigators claim that Ron Weiner was actually in charge of the computer operation, while David Geclowicz contacted people in the family and entourage of Laura Codruţa Kovesi. She had been allegedly monitored in March 2016, three email accounts of the DNA chief’s close persons were broken.

Ron Weiner, one of the Black Cube employees, accused of intimidation against the DNA chief Laura Codruţa Kovesi, was sentenced in January 2017 by the Bucharest Court of Appeal to two years and eight months in prison, on probation.

The second Israeli investigated in connection with the same deeds, David Geclowicz, was sentenced by the Bucharest Court to two years on probation on November 16, 2016.

All Israelis accused were later released.