Director of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) Eduard Hellvig announced on Friday that there is no longer any protocol in force related to making justice

Director of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) Eduard Hellvig announced on Friday that there is no longer any protocol in force related to making justice in Romania. 

"I bring you to mind that in February, last year, I officially denounced all those controversial protocols, stopping an existing practice in the past. What are these protocols? As I also explained to the SRI Committee, on 28 February 2017, I asked the institution from the very beginning whether these protocols were necessary. Couldn't we put in practice the law without protocols? I was told yes, it was possible, according to the law, but this was the traditional instrument and this was the framework through which we put in practice what was written in the law. I ordered an internal audit on all these collaboration protocols with other institutions and we decided to denounce all protocols that are not imposed by the law or decisions of the CSAT [the Supreme Council for National Defence]. Immediately, in February 2017, I started a process of denouncing the protocols with the Prosecutor's Offices and institutions of justice. There is no longer in force any protocol related to making justice in Romania," Hellvig stated in a press statement held at the SRI headquarters. 

In respect to the two protocols concluded between the SRI and the General Prosecutor's Office, he mentioned that they have been signed in December 2016, one is not classified and the other one is classified, with the latter focusing on cooperation on national security and terrorism offenses. 

"The first one is a non-classified protocol, which regulates the access of the criminal prosecution bodies to the technical infrastructure of the SRI. It is still in force and it does not involve any form of involvement of the SRI in the activity of the Prosecutor's Office. I have brought all these things to the attention of the SRI Oversight Committee. Also, the chairmanship of the High Court of Cassation and Justice, which has powers to verify how this protocol has been enforced, was notified of its existence. The second protocol, the classified one, regulated the way in which the SRI exclusively cooperated with the Public Prosecution Service regarding offenses of national security (stipulated in the Title no.10 of the Criminal Procedure Code) and terrorist offenses. To be very clear, this classified protocol was required by the Law regarding the organization and functioning of the SRI (article 8). The legality of this protocol cannot be questioned - I hope that through these clarifications I have clarified this discussion in the public space," the SRI Director showed. 

He explained that he signed the second protocol because the Emergency Ordinance 6/2016 required the signing of protocols with the state institutions for the exercise of SRI attributions. 

Eduard Hellvig underscored that these protocols have been denounced because the internal audit showed that the attributions can be exercised by the SRI based on the law and without these protocols, ensuring the national security of the country. 

"I have nothing to hide. There is a transparency and normality process which I initiated even if the law didn't forced us to do it. I want to assure you that my demarche to denounce all protocols which have been mentioned in the public space comes from the determination to eliminate all suspicions regarding the involvement of the Romanian Intelligence Service in the act of justice," the SRI Director stated.