UPDATE – The Executive President of PSD, Liviu Dragnea, came out of the hearings. The referendum file was postponed by a week so that the next term is March 19.
UPDATE: Liviu Dragnea is being heard again at the HCCJ premises in the Referendum case file .
UPDATE: The head of SRI, Eduard Hellvig, might also go to hearings in the Referendum case. In 2012, Hellvig was the leader of the campaign for the dismissal of former president Traian Băsescu.
UPDATE: Here's the first reaction that Prime Minister Ponta posted on Facebook: "The decision to suspend Traian Basescu was a political one taken by the Social Liberal Union leadership which I consider correct to this day. Dragnea did nothing alone and did nothing illegal. And all those who voted in the Referendum had this right and they should not be penalized for that. "
UPDATE: PSD leader Victor Ponta said in court at the end of the hearing that all the suspension decisions and the campaign for the 2012 referendum were undertaken by all USL leaders.
The Social Democrat President revealed that the text messages sent during the campaign were not drafted by the political leaders but by political consultants being approved by the campaign team, with decisions sometimes taken by the rapid response team without consulting the leaders.
He immediately added that he did not know if Dragnea's consent was required for the content of the message sent for the referendum in 2012, but that he personally, had he been consulted, would have readily agreed because turnout, which could have been influenced in this way, is an expression of the essence of democracy.
"The creation team was made up by: Bogdan Teodorescu, Dan Mihalache from PNL, politicians and people from outside the parties", Ponta specified.
The Prime Minister also said that at the time, as prime minister, he was legally informed of all institutions involved on the voting campaign, and there could not have been any fraud network organized without these institutions having noticed.
He said he was informed during the 2012 referendum that citizens were urged to vote "by legal means" not through the media, because the law does not allow it and he knew that many people wanted to vote, but the polling stations were closed.
Asked at the HCCJ if he was informed that on the referendum’s day text messages had been sent in the territory, signed "Dragnea" or "PSD SG" to implement a certain conduct towards the voters, Ponta said that he was informed that by legal means not by the media as broadcasting law does not allow it, that the citizens were urged to vote.
Asked if he saw any such message, Ponta said that he did not remember, but he did get message from people who wanted to vote, but the polling stations were closing.
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UPDATE: PSD President, Prime Minister Victor Ponta, came to the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) to be heard in the referendum case, saying he wanted to tell the truth in this case and that he wanted to speak to the prosecutors, but they did not accept.
"I want to tell the truth. I wanted to say it before the prosecutor and the prosecutor did not accept me," Ponta said entering the HCCJ headquarters.
Sunday, Ponta stated that he would appear before the court and explain that, based on information he possessed as party leader and prime minister nobody concocted a fraud scheme in 2012 .
"I will speak the truth and nothing but the truth, namely that of all the knowledge that I had as party leader and prime minister, nobody concocted in 2012 any scheme to defraud , but that 7.4 million Romanians did show up to vote for Basescu's dismissal. That it did not happen, it's a story I do not think we need to go into again, now, but we are talking about criminal liability and I will say what I know, what the court will ask me, the attorneys and the prosecutors and I will only speak the truth, "Ponta said Sunday.
The Supreme Court on October 7, 2013 recorded the file "Fraud in the referendum", prosecuting Liviu Dragnea and other 74 people, and the proceedings began on 15 November.
Liviu Dragnea, Secretary General of PSD at the time, was indicted for the crime of using influence or authority by a person holding a managerial position in a party, for the purpose of obtaining for himself or for another undeserved benefits.
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Victor Ponta will be heard today as witness in the referendum case prosecuting Liviu Dragnea. The magistrates ordered the subpoena all the witnesses proposed by the defendants lawyers.
Moreover, several hearings will be held today, Minister Constantin Nita and Robert Negoiţă were also heard a few days ago.
The prime minister announced that he would appear before the judges, because in 2012 there was no coup attempt.
We remind you that Liviu Dragnea was prosecuted because he had used his influence during the president's impeachment with the purpose to fraud the referendum.