The mystery, suspense andspeculations surrounding thestatements that Traian Basescurecently made about one of thepresidential candidates being anundercover officer are growingdeeper as competent officials andpresidential candidates are makingcontradictory statements on thisissue. Asked on Friday whetherPresident Basescu had asked him“by name or for a wider list” ofundercover agents, TeodorMelescanu, the head of theForeign Intelligence Service (SIE),stated: “There was no kind ofrequest. There were various talksabout this issue. I have understoodthat the President is preoccupiedwith the prerogatives he has whenappointing government members,namely to express an opinion, tobe able to refuse them,”Melescanu said, being quoted byMediafax. Prior to that, onThursday evening, journalist IonCristoiu revealed on Realitatea TVthe name of the presidential candidateTraian Basescu refers to: “It’sVictor Ponta,” Cristoiu said.Cristoiu commented the statementsthat President Basescu hadmade on the public televisionchannel the evening before. “Mr.Basescu came out on TVR. Theinterview was pretty good. Mr.Basescu said on August 5 thatamong the presidential candidatesthere is an undercover officer thatshould mention that in his CV.He came back to this in earlySeptember, expanding on thetheme, and in the interview onTVR he cleared up some things.He said this is about a formerundercover officer and introducedthe nuance with 1990-1992. Herefers to the fact that he can disclosehis name because there isnothing dangerous, it’s about a“former.” Because there will be noproblem for the one whose namewill be revealed. The only problemis that he did not include that inhis CV,” Cristoiu said. “The presidenthas a plan, he has the name,but will reveal it when he wantsto,” Ion Cristoiu said. The journalistalso emphasized thatBasescu said he will not invoke adocument from the intelligenceservices. “He said he will notinvoke for any moment a documentfrom the Services. Why?Because we see a softening of thetone too. Through the statementsMr. Basescu made on TVR wehave to deal with a lessening of thepossible impact that his disclosurewould have. He no longer revealsit fast. It’s about a former agent.And it’s about the fact that themoment he discloses his name theintelligence services will say it’s nottrue,” Cristoiu said.Cristoiu also revealed thename that Basescu might reveal.“In my opinion, based on all thisdata, it’s Victor Ponta. If he evermakes this disclosure TraianBasescu will refer to Victor Ponta.If he ever makes it.”“If this disclosure comes beforethe first round or between the tworounds then Mr. Victor Ponta willbe the Romanian President. If thedisclosure is made Victor Pontawill gain unprecedented politicalcapital. Why? First of all, VictorPonta will say it’s not true. It can’tbe proven. Victor Ponta, if hisname is the one, is not allowed bylaw to say YES,” Cristoiu added.President Traian Basescu hadstated the evening before on TVRthat Ilie Sarbu (who is alsoPremier Victor Ponta’s father-inlaw– editor’s note), the VicePresident of the ParliamentaryCommission for the Supervisionof SIE, “lied through omission”when stating that the SIE reportshows that none of the presidentialcandidates is an undercoveragent. Asked on Friday in an interviewif he had been an undercoverofficer of one of the Romanianintelligence services, PremierVictor Ponta said that even if hehad been one he still would haveto say he had not been. “If I wereI still would have to tell you no,”Ponta stated on Adevarul Live.Ponta claimed that TraianBasescu is using for purely electoralpurposes an important problemof Romanian society, namelyinter-institutional trust. “Why ishe using it purely electorally?Because he thinks like this: if Iwant to take Iohannis out of therace I’ll say it is Iohannis. If I wantto take Macovei out I’ll sayMacovei is the agent. If I want totake Ponta out, I’ll say Ponta is theone. So he has this thing and willuse it against those who angerMrs. Udrea,” Ponta pointed out.He said that he does notbelieve things would change in thebalance of the elections campaignif Basescu were to say thatIohannis or Ponta were undercoverofficers. “I don’t believe anythingwill change if he saysIohannis is an agent. Udrea stillwon’t make it to the runoff. I don’tbelieve anything will change if hesays that about me. As a presidentyou are never allowed to use informationconcerning state institutionsfor an electoral purpose. Ifyou have the information it is illegal,if you don’t it’s swindling,”Ponta said.He pointed out that bylaunching this issue Basescu is creatinga reckless atmosphere. “Thelaw says that as an undercover officeryou are not allowed to engagein politics. What Mr. Basescu isdoing is irresponsible, he has apetty electoral purpose,” Pontasaid.He pointed out that he discussedabout Traian Basescu’sstatements with the heads of SRIand SIE, George Maior andTeodor Melescanu respectively.“Of course we discussed, becausethe idea was to go to Parliament,for Parliament to ask all to revealthemselves. The candidates werejust the start. Tariceanu, Zgonea,the members of the PoliticalBureau would have been next. Thetwo heads answered strictly: thereis no such thing because it wouldbe against the law, and we are notbreaking the law,” Ponta added.
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