PM Ponta on 2012 referendum trial: No one devised a fraud scheme

Prime Minister Victor Ponta announced he will testify on Wednesday at the High Court of Cassation and Justice (Romania's Supreme Court) as a witness in the case of the 2012 referendum for the discharge of then-president Traian Basescu.

Photo credit: (c) Cristian NISTOR / AGERPRES ARCHIVE

"I will tell the truth and nothing but the truth, namely from all my knowledge as a [Social Democrat] party leader and prime minister, no one devised a fraud scheme in 2012. There were actually 7.4 million Romanians who turned out to vote to dismiss Traian Basescu. That it didn't happen is a story I think we shouldn't reopen now, but we're talking about criminal charges and I will tell what I know, I will answer the court's, lawyers' and prosecutor's questions and I repeat myself: I will tell nothing but the truth," Ponta declared on Sunday night in a phone call with TVR, the state-owned TV station.

Asked why he thinks his testimony was necessary, he answered that he 'incidentally' 'knew best' what happened in 2012.

"Just like Mr. [former head of the National Liberal Party Crin] Antonescu knows, as the former co-chair of USL [the Social Liberal Union made up by the Liberals and Social Democrats], as the two secretary generals [of the two parties], Mr. [Liviu] Dragnea and Mr. [Eduard] Hellvig know, and other people in the USL leadership back then; and I repeat, the truth I know, to the extent it can help to establish the truth and the responsibilities ? how could I not tell it? On the contrary, I want to tell it, and since the court agreed, I will obviously stand on Wednesday," Ponta claimed.

Asked whether Antonescu and Hellvig should be subpoenaed, too, the prime minister answered: "As there is a trial in progress, I cannot give opinions. I was...