Romanian Parliament Legal Committee To Hear Two High Officials In Connection With Controversial Cases

The head of the committee, liberal George Scutaru, said liberals and social democrats proposed the hearings be held Wednesday.

Liberal lawmaker Mihaita Calimente said the committee decided to hear Blaga following the indictment of four officers with the Internal Protection and Intelligence Department within the Interior Ministry and to hear Degeratu in connection with the minutes involving Hayssam, which were recently published in the media.

As regards the Hayssam case, Romanian daily Gardianul recently published the minutes of a discussion supposedly held in September 2005 between Hayssam and general Degeratu, who, at that time, was in charge with security issues at the presidential administration.

According to the paper, Hayssam said during talks with Degeratu that President Traian Basescu promised to set him free if the three Romanian journalists kidnapped in Iraq were released.

Basescu recently said the recording of the conversation between Degeratu and Hayssam is illegal and was held in a prosecutor’s office.

Late November 2007, prosecutors charged Mustafa Tartoussi, Mukhles Omar and Mahmoud Omar with aiding the escape of terror suspect and Hayssam was charged with illegally exiting the country.

Investigators established that, between June 23 and 30, 2006, Tartoussi and Omar Mahmoud and Mukhles planned and aided the escape of Hayssam, accused of terrorism by organizing and financing the kidnapping of three Romanian journalists in Iraq.

The Romanian High Court of Justice sentenced Hayssam, in his absence, to 20 years in prison.