Premium
Former President Traian Basescu declared on Tuesday, after exiting the headquarters of the General Prosecutor's Office, that he gave a statement as witness in front of prosecutors, but cannot reveal its content.
Traian Basescu was heard on Tuesday at the Prosecutor's Office, for two and a half hours, in the case opened as a result of information made public by former deputy Sebastian Ghita in several video clips aired on private TV broadcaster Romania TV. "It was a complete witness statement, to all of the prosecutor's questions but I cannot disclose its content because I am not allowed under the Criminal Code," Basescu said after the hearing.
Asked by journalists whether he had ever interfered with the justice act, Basescu replied: "Never. Forget about me ever meddling in a case." Basescu was also asked what Sebastian Ghita wanted to show through the video footage broadcast at Romania TV. "I don't know. It depends how you've read it," Basescu said.
The former president refused to make comments about his nephew, Dragos Basescu's conviction, or about General Florian Coldea's case. On January 4, the Prosecutor's Office opened a criminal case following information made public through the video footage released by private TV broadcaster Romania TV and that shows a dialogue between former president Traian Basescu and another person on judiciary cases.
The Prosecutor's Office clarification came following the media circulation of some pieces of information on "possible interferences in the act of justice," as resulted from the recording made public by former MP Sebastian Ghita. According to the recording presented by Ghita, the interlocutor alleged to be Traian Basescu talks about "Mafia state" and declares, when answering a question regarding Voiculescu' s case: "'You should have seen them talking the day after the conviction, which fulfilled as they were told three days before. How they told me: Tomorrow we take Mustata and Camelia Bogdan steps in. You should have seen them one day later, saying: I spoke with Bogdan and she said that if we had had the Criminal Code she would have given him 20 years, but now she could give him only ten. Then Coldea drew the conclusions, you know. You should see how spectacular Coldea is when he draws conclusions. (...) Camelia Bogdan (...) entered as judge in the son in law's file. A judge who has had the file for a year is changed, and Camelia Bogdan entered at the last hearing. Hey you, Bogdan, I know who you are!'.
Referring to this topic, Traian Basescu said, at the date of the publishing, that the recordings presented by Sebastian Ghita are real, but edited by the author, therefore creating some confusions, adding that he had never met judge Camelia Bodgan and had never discussed with her about Dan Voiculescu's case.
