Traian Băsescu denies knowing Lucian Pahonțu had Securitate ties before 2004 SPP appointment
Former Romanian president Traian Băsescu said he did not know Lucian Pahonțu had served in the Securitate or at the 1989 Intercontinental barricade when appointing him SPP director in 2004.
Appointment background and Securitate allegations
Former Romanian president Traian Băsescu addressed recent journalistic investigations into Protection and Guard Service (SPP) director Lucian Pahonțu during an interview on Digi24. The investigative reporting examined Pahonțu's alleged past service within the communist Securitate apparatus and his reported presence at the Intercontinental Hotel barricade during the December 1989 Revolution. Băsescu, who appointed Pahonțu to head the protection agency in 2004 and subsequently decorated him, stated that he received no information regarding communist-era police activity prior to the selection.
I did not know he was in the Securitate. I took him from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. A file was brought to me, and he appeared at the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Gendarmerie cooperation and vetting process
Băsescu explained that his familiarity with Pahonțu originated during his tenure as mayor of Bucharest, when Pahonțu served as commander of a Romanian Gendarmerie intervention brigade. During that mayoral term, municipal authorities repeatedly called upon Gendarmerie units to secure public order throughout an extensive campaign targeting illegal commercial kiosks across the capital. When seeking candidates to lead the protection service, Băsescu weighed whether to request recommendations from the Ministry of National Defence or the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
- Protests take place at the Intercontinental Hotel barricade during the Romanian Revolution.
- Traian Băsescu replaces Gabriel Naghi and appoints Lucian Pahonțu to head the SPP.
- Băsescu states on Digi24 that he was unaware of Securitate allegations when making the 2004 appointment.
Upon asking the Ministry of Internal Affairs for candidate proposals, Băsescu accepted the recommendation of Pahonțu without delay, citing their established working relationship from the municipal demolition operations. The former head of state acknowledged that he did not examine Pahonțu's institutional personnel file prior to making the formal appointment, adding that the dossier remained under the custody of the interior ministry. Băsescu also stated that, in his view, the minister of internal affairs serving at that time likely lacked information regarding Pahonțu's deployment at the 1989 protests.
Service restructuring and intelligence role
The 2004 decision took place as part of a comprehensive reshuffle of Romania's security structures following Băsescu's accession to the presidency. Băsescu replaced the leadership across all state intelligence and security services, as well as the prosecutor general, to remove officials inherited from the administration of former president Ion Iliescu, including former SPP director Gabriel Naghi. While noting that Pahonțu's 21-year tenure as SPP chief represented a substantial period, Băsescu maintained full responsibility for the original 2004 nomination.
I wanted it to be known that I am the head of this state and that I do not pamper the history of the Romanian state.
Băsescu also rejected characterizations of the SPP director as a master of political secrets, describing that perception as distorted and clarifying that state secrets are managed by the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI). Regarding his perspective in 2004, Băsescu noted that he believed the military had fired during the 1989 Revolution while the Securitate had orders to deploy without street ammunition. When asked whether he would reverse the decision in light of subsequent revelations, Băsescu replied that while many things could be said in hindsight, he acted on the information available at the time.
