Dismissed intelligence chiefs „to stay in office”

Senate speaker Nicolae Vacaroiu said on Thursday that the heads of the Romanian Intelligence Service and the Foreign Intelligence Service, whom President Basescu forced to resign a week ago due to lack of action in the disappearance of a terrorism suspect, should stay in office until the Parliament decides to accept their resignations.

The two resigned following the huge scandal sparked by businessman Omar Hayssam, who fled the country early this month despite facing terrorism charges.

Vacaroiu said the Parliament held the ultimate decision in the resignation of the intelligence chiefs and that he and House speaker Bogdan Olteanu would adress a letter to President Traian Basescu to demand him to ask the Parliament to accept the resignation of the two.