Romanian police are making inquiries after graffiti was sprayed on the house of former President Traian Băsescu on Friday following a court ruling that he was an agent of the feared Securitate communist secret police.
The words “Petrov”, his Securitate code name, and “Pay your debts” were sprayed in red paint on the outside wall of his grace-and-favor villa.
The court ordered that he be evicted from the villa. As well as losing the right to a state-provided residence he also loses personal security as a result of the conviction.
Mr Băsescu, who was president from 2004 to 2014, declined to comment on the incident.
Under communism, he served as a captain on commercial ships and admitted sending reports to military counter-intelligence. However, he claimed it wasn’t the same thing as the Securitate.
Romania’s High Court disagreed. It ruled that he had submitted handwritten reports where he informed on colleagues and reported instances of dissent. The court said this made him guilty of violating their civil rights and therefore an agent of the Securitate.
Former politician Marian Căpăţână who was jailed for a corruption case together with Mr Băsescu’s brother, Mircea Băsescu in 2016, told reporters he was responsible for the vandalism.
He said he wanted to show his disapproval as he had personally helped Mr Băsescu’s re-election campaign in 2009.
District 1 police said they were investigating the incident.
Mr Băsescu,70, returned to Romania early Thursday after he was discharged from a hospital in Brussels where he was admitted for treatment last week.
He has 60 days to the leave the property. All former presidents are entitled to a grace-and-favor house after they leave office.
Top court rules ex-Romanian President Traian Basescu collaborated with Securitate secret police
