Wiretaps have become common practice for prosecutors during the term of President Traian Basescu. In the 10 years of his regime, the number of interception warrants increased 6 times. In addition to those who are targeted by the interceptions, they also tapped the people they contacted.
This is why, most MPs or member of the Parliament are being tapped by the SRI even if they are not targeted by any investigations.
The number of interception warrants increased from 2005 to currently 610%, or more than 6 times from 6300 warrants to 38 000. Because they do not only intercept the people being investigated , but all the people that they come into contact with , the number of people whose calls are recorded is much higher.
The wiretapping of politicians such as Viorel Hrebenciuc, Ilie Sarbu or Dan Sova provides prosecutors with a large number of transcripts, which are often leaked to the press.
For example, the interception of Viorel Hrebenciuc, vice president of the Chamber of Deputies and leader of the Social Democratic Party led automatically to the interception of other PSD MPs and other party colleagues. In his capacity of vice-president of the Chamber of Deputies, Hrebenciuc had talks with Valeriu Zgonea, chairman of the Chamber of Deputies, with the 11 members of the Permanent Bureau and 187 Social Democrat MPs.
Moreover, in his capacity of PSD leader, Viorel Hrebenciuc had working relations with the government members, with presidents of county councils, PSD colleagues and party mayors. All those who have had conversation with the PSD leader have most likely been intercepted by prosecutors investigating the case.
The same situation applies in the case of Ilie Sarbu, deputy Senate chairman and PSD group leader in the upper chamber of Parliament and an important leader of the Social Democrats. As vice chairman of the Senate Ilie Sârbu has had permanent contact with Senate president Calin Popescu Tăriceanu, members of the Standing Bureau of the Senate, as well as other leaders of the parliamentary groups and the 66 senators of the party.
There were also intercepted fellow members of the government or from the party leadership, the PSD leader has an obligation to maintain contact with.
Thus, although the interception warrants should be linked to national security, they become a practice increasingly common in the DNA prosecutors hands.