Romanian opposition leader demands SPP chief resign over 1989 Securitate role allegations

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Romanian opposition leader demands SPP chief resign over 1989 Securitate role allegations
Romanian president urged to sack police chief over 1989 revolution crackdown role
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Romanian opposition leader Dominic Fritz on Thursday demanded answers from Lucian Pahonțu, the head of the Protection and Guard Service (SPP), following investigative reports by Recorder and Snoop that Pahonțu served in Ceaușescu’s repression forces during the 1989 revolution.
Fritz, president of the USR party, wrote on Facebook that the allegations were “extremely serious” and that Pahonțu “must respond,” adding that if confirmed, Pahonțu should step down out of respect for the revolution’s victims and future generations . In a separate interview with Digi24, Fritz said institutions may have actively concealed the truth and called for full disclosure on Pahonțu’s role in 1989 and any official cover-up .
The investigations by Recorder and Snoop revealed Pahonțu was a platoon commander in the Securitate troops deployed to suppress protests near Bucharest’s Intercontinental Hotel on Dec. 21, 1989 . The National Council for the Study of the Securitate Archives (CNSAS) confirmed it received new documents on Pahonțu after the media inquiries, with vice president Mădălin Hodor stating the files were the most detailed to date and could advance a stalled verification process .
Hodor told HotNews that CNSAS had lacked sufficient storage to accept classified archives from the Jandarmerie, which held records on Pahonțu’s past, and that earlier checks since 2008 yielded only vague responses about his Securitate service . CNSAS also noted Pahonțu never submitted a legally required affidavit denying Securitate collaboration, blocking an automatic review .
UDMR spokesman Csoma Botond told HotNews that Pahonțu “should be dismissed,” while PNL spokesman Ionel Bogdan said the allegations required verification by competent institutions and that President Nicușor Dan, who oversees the SPP, should evaluate the situation . PSD and AUR did not respond to requests for comment.
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