Ex-Premier Victor Ponta stated on Monday that later that day he was going to lodge with the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) a request to be told the capacity in which he was heard in Liviu Dragnea’s dossier, after the latter once again accused him of being one of the persons who denounced him. Ponta claimed he never filed a denunciation in his entire life, adding that if he proves – based on DNA documents – that he was heard solely as a witness then Liviu Dragnea, “the biggest liar in the history of Romanian politics,” must resign from Parliament and from the PSD.
Victor Ponta made the statements on Monday, at the Supreme Court, where he was heard in the Turceni-Rovinari dossier in which he is indicted for forgery in deeds by private signature and complicity to tax evasion and money laundering, guilty acts he allegedly committed in his capacity as lawyer.
“Liviu Dragnea has once again said I’m a denouncer in his dossier. Today, I’m lodging with the DNA a request for them to tell me whether my capacity is that of a witness or a denouncer. (…) If Dragnea produces a denunciation of mine, I’ll resign from Parliament today and you’ll get rid of me; but if I produce a document showing I gave a statement as a witness, then it’s no longer a matter of apologies, he will have to resign from the PSD and from Parliament. I never filed a penal denunciation, not against Mr Dragnea and not against anybody. (…) Either I’m a denouncer or Mr Dragnea is the biggest liar in the history of Romanian politics. If he lied he must be held accountable for it, because all of Romania depends on Mr Dragnea’s lies,” Ponta said.
Asked by journalists whether he said, during the hearings at the DNA, that the TelDrum company is owned by Dragnea, Ponta said: “No, certainly not, I only said I was on the Belina Lake.”
Ponta added that he will give Dragnea money to photocopy the witness statement he gave in the TelDrum dossier.
Ponta: Dragnea the National Liar says I denounced him; If he produces the copy of the denunciation I’ll resign
On Sunday evening, after Liviu Dragnea accused him of being one of the persons who denounced him at the DNA, Ponta announced he will resign if “Dragnea the Liar” substantiates his statements, asking the PSD leader to do the same if he proves that Dragnea unfairly accused him.
“Dragnea the National Liar has just said on TV that I denounced him! But he can’t produce a copy of my denunciation because he lacks the money! I’ve never seen such a liar that mocks everyone,” ex-Premier Victor Ponta wrote on Facebook.
Victor Ponta stated that this aspect must be clarified for good, out of respect for PSD’s members and voters.
“I publicly propose we do the following: if he brings a copy of my (alleged) denunciation, I’ll resign from Parliament the same day and will never again engage in politics / however, if I bring him an official document that once again attests I’m a simple witness (just like Teodorovici, Grindeanu, etc.) and I never filed a penal denunciation against him, then he’ll from Parliament and from PSD!! Simple and clear – come, Dragnea the Liar, do you have the courage?” Ponta wrote.
Ponta announced he will ask the DNA to state the capacity he has in Liviu Dragnea’s dossier.
“P.S.: Tomorrow I will lodge with the DNA an official request, asking them to inform me of my capacity in that dossier (denouncer or witness)! Being indicted, Dragnea the Liar can ask for a copy of my statement tomorrow and he can make it public (I understand he doesn’t have the money to copy it – I’ll pay for a 5-page photocopy)!” Ponta concluded.
Dragnea lodges complaint because DNA refuses to give him an electronic copy of his dossier
On Sunday evening, PSD President Liviu Dragnea once again accused Victor Ponta of being the denouncer in the TelDrum dossier alongside Dan Sova and Teodor Nitulescu. “I know the snitches in the dossier. Sova, Ponta, Nitulescu. I heard some keep having airs and graces. ‘He should apologise, because I didn’t tell,’” Dragnea stated for RomaniaTV.
Likewise, he announced he has lodged with the DNA a complaint, because the institution refuses to give him an electronic copy of his dossier. He said he is being offered the dossier only in printed form, and copying it would cost him more than RON 100,000, against the backdrop in which his only income is the indemnity from the Lower House. “My only income is the indemnity from Parliament. Not even whole, two thirds [of it],” Dragnea added.
On 13 November 2017, PSD President Liviu Dragnea was charged with forming a crime ring, two counts of use or presentation – in bad faith – of misleading, inaccurate or incomplete statements or documents, and abuse of office resulting in the obtainment of ill-gotten benefits for self or others, in a case in which eight other persons were charged, the representatives of TelDrum company being among them.
According to prosecutors, in his capacity as Chairman of the Teleorman County Council, Liviu Dragnea formed a crime group that included civil servants from public administration institutions and persons from the business sector.
In this dossier, a damage of RON 30 million was caused through abuse of office and a damage of EUR 20 million through the embezzlement of European grants.
Formed in 2001, the crime ring sought to fraudulently obtain important sums of money from public contracts, through the committal of abuse of office, embezzlement, tax evasion, money laundering and the use of information not meant for public consumption or by allowing unauthorised persons to access such information, the DNA prosecutors state.
Liviu Dragnea was charged with forming a crime ring, two counts of use or presentation – in bad faith – of misleading, inaccurate or incomplete statements or documents, and abuse of office resulting in the obtainment of ill-gotten benefits for self or others, in a case in which eight other persons were charged, the representatives of TelDrum company being among them.
PSD’s Dragnea about Tel Drum case: Access to case denied on purpose
Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader Liviu Dragnea believes that he is not allowed to have access to the Tel Drum case “on purpose” so that he cannot properly prepare his defence.
Asked if he was told the reason why the National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA) refused to give him the case in electronic format, Dragnea specified: “No, this is basically the decision.”
“And I have understood, I hope I’m not mistaken, that DNA has come up with an announcement – it costs 10,000 [lei -ed.n.]. Arithmetic is very curious, I paid 6,000 and something lei for 18 volumes. For the rest, to almost 300, anyone can do the math – it takes us to 100,000 lei. I don’t know other cases in which the electronic format of the case was denied. I am trying to understand or I am beginning to understand that DNA is actually an institution that wants to earn revenues. I know it has enough budget and has had a budget every year. In my opinion, I wrote it in my complaint lodged with the DNA, it is intended for me not to have access to my case so that I cannot build my defence properly, which wouldn’t be such novelty,” Dragnea maintained on Monday at the Parliament Palace.
