EXCLUSIVE The operational funds of the secret services will no longer be controlled by Parliament or the Court of Auditors

The operational expenditure funds of the secret services, i.e. the money with which the intelligence services finance their operations, will no longer be controlled either by special parliamentary committees or by the Court of Auditors, but only by the Supreme Council of National Defence (CSAT), according to the draft law on intelligence and counter-intelligence activities being debated by the governing coalition and consulted by the G4Media.

Operational funds are the biggest financial stake of the intelligence services, representing a significant part of their budgets. If they are no longer subject to civilian control, there is a risk that their use will become arbitrary.

In the last two years, there have been two such situations. The first scandal was at the army’s intelligence directorate (DGIA), whose deputy director has already been convicted in the first instance for allegedly embezzling DGIA war funds.

The second case was investigated by the National Anti-corruption Agency (DNA) and concerned former Interior Minister Petre Tobă and the former heads of the secret service of the Ministry of Interior for the way operational funds were spent on parties at the Excelsior and Bârlogul Lupilor restaurants, drinks and luxury perfumes.

Excerpts from the draft law:

Art. 47

…

(2) The execution of the budgets of the authorities/structures referred to in Article 6 is subject to subsequent control by the Court of Auditors. The fund for operational expenditure incurred by the intelligence services/structures shall be exempt from subsequent control by the Court of Auditors.

Background.

The governing coalition is debating the draft of national security laws, a wider package of 10 laws that concern the functioning and organization of the intelligence services, the army, the interior ministry, and the CSAT. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă announced on 27 May that the drafts are being discussed within each party in the coalition and will be debated by the government in a week’s time before being sent to parliament.

„The laws have been drafted at the level of each responsible institution, the package in its entirety is at the level of each party, so that the specialized committees can analyze it and I believe that no later than a week we will be able to have the package for analysis and approval at government level so that it can be submitted to Parliament”, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă said on 27 May.

Translated from Romanian by Ovidiu H.