Lucian Pahontu, head of the Protection and Guard Service (SPP), issued on Monday a detailed public statement addressing accusations regarding his alleged involvement in the violent repression of the 1989 Revolution and the June 1990 events. He said he wants the allegations clarified as soon as possible, stressing that they affect both his dignity and his military career.

'I want the accusations brought against me, which harm my dignity and my military career, to be clarified as soon as possible. Throughout my career, I have placed great emphasis on respect for people and have guided my actions by values such as integrity, loyalty, respect and responsibility,' Pahontu said.

He noted that his professional activity has been repeatedly verified over the years by competent institutions. 'It is impossible that the serious acts I am now accused of could have remained undiscovered and unsanctioned, had they existed,' he stressed, recalling that the events of December 1989 and June 1990 have long been the subject of criminal investigations. 'I am convinced that if I had had any involvement in the violence of those two events, it would have been identified.'

Pahontu described December 1989 and June 1990 as 'open wounds of Romania', stressing that those who suffered, their families and all citizens deserve the truth. He said public officials have a duty to answer questions about their past. 'That is why I respond with facts that can be verified. The statements about me are untrue and unfounded. I have never hidden aspects of my professional path.'

He rejected any suggestion that he engaged in political policing or actions that violated fundamental rights, and voiced his confidence that the National Council for the Study of the Securitate Archives (CNSAS) will clarify the matter. 'I firmly reject any accusation of involvement in the violent repression of the demonstrations of 21-22 December 1989 in University Square, or in the violence against protesters on 13-14 June 1990.'

Pahontu explained his military background, stating he graduated from the Military School of Active Officers in Sibiu, specializing in communications, and served between 1987 and 1989 as a platoon commander in the Securitate Troops, with duties strictly in the communications field. He emphasized that the Securitate Troops at the time were equivalent to today's Gendarmerie and should not be confused with the Securitate's intelligence or investigative structures.

He also provided a detailed account of his unit's movements on 21 December 1989, saying his company was deployed, by order, to several locations in Bucharest. He said that around 22:00 he entered a blocking formation on 13 Decembrie Street, at the intersection with Academiei Street, without ammunition. 'During the approximately four hours we were in the formation, neither I nor the soldiers under my command changed position or had any direct contact with the revolutionaries,' he said, adding that ammunition was later checked and none was missing.

'At no point during the events of 21 and 22 December 1989 were we at the Intercontinental barricade or on Nicolae Balcescu Boulevard. We had no ammunition and no contact with the revolutionaries, except for the moment when they fraternized with the troops,' he said, noting that he recorded this in a March 1990 statement.

Regarding June 1990, Pahontu said he and his subordinates did not participate in the events in Bucharest on 13-14 June. 'We remained in the barracks, according to documents in the archive of the Romanian Gendarmerie,' he said, adding that they only received orders on 15 June to help maintain public order, when no violence was recorded.

Pahontu also defended his record as SPP head, saying he focused on modernization, professionalism and integration into Euro-Atlantic structures. He highlighted extensive cooperation with NATO, the UN, the EU and especially the United States. 'I want the accusations brought against me to be clarified as soon as possible,' he reiterated. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Andreea Rotaru; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)

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