Former Foreign Intelligence Colonel Claims Material Damages From Romanian President Basescu

Former foreign intelligence colonel Ionel Dragomir demands material damages of 100,000 lei (EUR1=RON3.8131) within a trial in which he requires President Traian Basescu to state whether he, Dragomir, is the “colonel Dumitrescu” to whom the president referred in statements on crisis of the three Romanians kidnapped in Iraq in 2005.

22 views

Dragomir said in court Wednesday that he claims RON100,000 from the head of state following this lawsuit.

Dragomir asked the court to include the Romanian Intelligence Service and the Foreign Intelligence Service in the trial. The court will decide which institution is able to trial this case, either the Bucharest Court or a district court.

In June 2005, speaking about the secret file on the release of three Romanian journalists kidnapped in Iraq, the head of state said there was a person who short-circuited hostage release negotiations. Basescu said at that time that one of the kidnapped journalists, Ovidiu Ohanesian, is “friends with a former foreign intelligence officer, colonel Dumitrescu, and listens to this person who has been ousted from the service”.

The president explained that “a serious problem occurred” due to the former colonel and his contacts “with some expelled Iraqis”.

“People from the Foreign Intelligence Services, from the Romanian Intelligence Services and the Military Intelligence Department came to suspect one another, and this would have made things really bad. They almost shot at one another. Do you realize what could have happened?” Basescu said. He did not make any statements as to how this person was allowed to act freely and to pose problems to the three secret services.

At that time, Dragomir was still an active officer, but was discharged shortly after.

Journalist Ovidiu Ohanesian denied any connection with the Foreign Intelligence Services, or with a certain “colonel Dumitrescu”.

End March, the Bucharest Court of Appeals annulled the order discharging former foreign intelligence colonel Ionel Dragomir, and simultaneously the decision of the Council of the Foreign Intelligence Services.

If you liked this story, please follow MEDIAFAX.RO on FACEBOOK »

The content of mediafax.ro is for your information only. Republishing or using this content is forbidden without express consent of MEDIAFAX. For this consent, please ask for it by mail at vanzari@mediafax.ro.