phone tapping

Several referees, among whom the referees targeted in the bribery case involving Romanian Arges football club owner Cornel Penescu, have been subject to phone tapping since late 2008, which allowed prosecutors to conclude the aforementioned were involved in corruption acts to favor Penescu’s team.

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Monday evening on national television that, as far as he knows, Romania has no background of illegal phone tapping whatsoever and rejected the recent statements of his former adviser Claudiu Saftoiu, alleging they talked about the contents of phone conservations between two prominent political leaders.

Romanian former president Ion Iliescu on Wednesday said President Traian Basescu phoned and assured him that the allegations made by ex-Foreign Intelligence head Claudiu Saftoiu were “phony” and that the head of state does not resort to listening private conversations.