While Romania was in the midst of a security crisis, on Sunday, December 8, the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE) would have gone to Abu Dhabi to watch a Formula 1 race. Gabriel Vlase would have also flown in September, together with three other people on a private plane to Azerbaijan to see the Baku Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Gabriel Vlase, director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Photo: X (Archive)
UPDATE According to several sources cited by G4Media, on Sunday, December 8, in the midst of a security crisis in Romania, the head of SIE would have boarded a plane bound for Abu Dhabi, where he was at the Formula 1 Grand Prix organized in the Emirates.
While Romania was “burning”, after the Constitutional Court annulled the first round of the presidential elections due to hybrid attacks and Russia’s influence on the vote in Romania, Gabriel Vlase, the head of SIE was apparently relaxing in the United Arab Emirates, at the Formula 1 race organized here.
Moreover, it is not the first time that he flies, alone or accompanied, to various places in the world to follow his passion for car racing. This year, the head of SIE flew to Italy, on September 1, to see the young driver Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) winning the Monza race. Then, on September 12, accompanied by deputy Ioan Octavian Brița, and with two other people, he flew to Azerbaijan, to the Baku race.
We remind you that SIE is also among the services that provided CSAT with information about the presidential elections. But the SIE information made public by the Presidential Administration was considered by experts to be the weakest of the set of documents presented by SRI, SIE, STS and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Initial news
The director of SIE, Gabriel Vlase, would have flown on September 12 with a private plane to Baku, a Learjet 75 operated by Țiriac Air, together with the deputy Ioan Octavian Brița, and two other people, to follow for three days Azerbaijan Formula 1 Grand Prix, according to G4Media. This information results from the flight documents (gendec) consulted by the cited publication. Also, several eyewitnesses then saw the two in the stands in Baku.
The Baku Formula 1 Grand Prix took place from 13-15 September, with the race taking place on Sunday 15 September. Training sessions open to the public were held on September 13 and 14. Also, on Saturday, September 14, the qualifications took place.
The private plane returned from Baku on September 15 and landed at Otopeni Airport at 15:10, according to data provided by the boarding pass.
According to industry sources consulted by G4Media, such a flight (duration 3.5 hours) costs between 50 thousand and 70 thousand euros.
“Appreciating your journalistic work, we believe you can tell the difference between sensationalism and foreign intelligence work. The missions performed by the Foreign Intelligence Service are carried out on the basis of very well established criteria and following a risk analysis, and travel abroad is ensured by any means of transport that meets the requirements of security, operability, protection and anonymity“, the SIE Press Office sent to the G4Media editorial office.
Specialists familiar with the operation of the secret services exclude the possibility that the head of the service accompanied by his deputy participated “in an operative mission of the service”.
