PSD's Dragnea: SPP head uses institution to collect information and influence gov't and parties

Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader Liviu Dragnea, on Sunday evening told Romania TV private television broadcaster that the Protection and Guard Service (SPP) head, Lucian Pahontu, for many years, has used the employees of this institution to collect information and to try to influence people in the Government or in the political parties, in one way or the other, and he also sent "certain messages" to prosecutors and judges. 

"I didn't come here with SPP, but with a collaborator who is a driver. I have done this for years, I haven't benefited from the SPP services, I haven't had institutional relations with the SPP since I became Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, I did not benefit from the protection, guarding services, cars or other facilities, I have refused to do so from the beginning of my term in office, for a very serious reason: I do not trust the head of this institution, Mr. Pahontu, for I know that for many years he did more than his job required him to do, for many years he used this institution, its employees, to collect information, on one hand, and to try to influence, on the other hand, and sometimes he even succeeded, people from the Government, and from the political parties, in one way or the other," said Dragnea. 

He also added that the SPP head used to go to the prosecutors' offices and judges to bring them "certain messages." 

"I know from the past years that he did something which was very harmful, and I don't know if he stopped doing it, that he went to the prosecutors' offices, courts or he spoke to the prosecutors and judges, bringing them certain messages. All those I discussed about this matter with said that most messages were, practically, from himself, while he claimed they were messages from the presidents, the one before and the current president. Most of those who told me this over time told me that their opinion was neither of the presidents, the one we had before and the current one, actually used him," said Liviu Dragnea. 

The Speaker of the Deputies Chamber also added that most ministers took it for granted that the SPP officers needed to tell to the head of the institution what they did. 

"What information was there for this man to collect about a minister to protect him/her? Honestly, what information could he needed to protect them? On the contrary, most of the ministers I talked with, not just in 2017, it is hilarious, all of them took it for granted that the SPP officers needed to tell Pahontu where they were and what they did," underscored Dragnea. 

He also mentioned that Deputy Prime Minister Paul Stanescu said this "very clearly." 

"Where does it say in the job description that the SPP head needs to stick his nose into the political matters, into the internal matters of the political parties, and needs to try to influence the members of the Government? This is really a matter of national security," said Dragnea. 

The PSD leader also added that he didn't believe President Klaus Iohannis would be interested to know where a certain ministers goes and whom he meets, while underscoring that the head of the state himself is exposed.

AGERPRES.