Liberal senator Radu Stroe, Chair of the Commission for Parliamentary Control on SRI (the Romanian Secret Service Activity) stated yesterday that PNA (the National Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office) was much guilty for the echoes of the hostage crises, as in 2004 PNA had issued no permits to intercept the phone calls of Syrian businessman Omar Hayssam. Stroe said: "PNA is at great fault in this case". He stated this at the end of the session when the Commission questioned SRI Head Radu Timofte. The latter was summoned to make clear some aspects related to the SRI Report on 2004. Radu Stroe: The Prosecutor's Office is also responsible for the kidnapping According to the Commission Chair, PNA is guilty for two reasons. The Liberal said PNA should have issued several permits to intercept Hayssam's phone calls, as the latter was a much controversial businessman, which SRI had monitored since 1995. Stroe mentioned: "SRI bugs phones only if there is permit". Secondly, PNA representatives have not explained so far what they did with lots of information notes on Hayssam via SRI. The senator also mentioned the Prosecutor's Office did not announce whether it had started inquiry on the Syrian, because legislation in use stipulated no such obligation. The Romanian senator explained: "The law odes not ask state institutions to reply to SRI information notes. But SRI must inform institutions." Stroe added that the legislation needed change so that crisis would be avoided in the future.

Razvan GHEORGHE