# Radu Timofte > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Radu_Timofte > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Radu_Timofte.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radu_Timofte > Source revision: 1349564228 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Romanian politician and general (1949–2009)}} '''Alexandru-Radu Timofte''' ({{IPA|ro|ˈradu tiˈmofte}}; 7 April 1949 – 19 October 2009) was a [Romania](/source/Romania)n soldier, politician and spy chief. A member of the [Social Democratic Party](/source/Social_Democratic_Party_(Romania)) (PSD), he sat in the [Romanian Senate](/source/Senate_of_Romania) from 1990 to 2001, representing [Neamț County](/source/Neam%C8%9B_County). From 2001 to 2006, he headed ''[Serviciul Român de Informații](/source/Serviciul_Rom%C3%A2n_de_Informa%C5%A3ii)'' (SRI), the country's domestic intelligence service. ==Biography== Born in [Horia](/source/Horia%2C_Neam%C8%9B), [Neamț County](/source/Neam%C8%9B_County), Timofte attended the [Roman-Vodă High School](/source/Roman-Vod%C4%83_National_College) in [Roman](/source/Roman%2C_Romania){{in lang|ro}} [https://monitorulneamt.ro/colegiul-roman-voda-a-ajuns-la-141-de-toamne/ “Colegiul Roman Vodă a ajuns la 141 de toamne”], ''Monitorul de Neamț'', September 2013; accessed 22 April 2021 and then graduated from the Command and General Staff Faculty of the [Military Academy](/source/Carol_I_National_Defence_University) in [Bucharest](/source/Bucharest). He was an active-duty officer at the [Interior Ministry](/source/Ministry_of_Administration_and_Interior_(Romania)) until 1988, when he was sent into the reserves because his sister had remained abroad illegally. Right after the fall of the [Communist regime](/source/Communist_Romania) [in 1989](/source/Romanian_Revolution), Timofte participated in governing the town of [Roman](/source/Roman%2C_Romania) as a member of the local [National Salvation Front](/source/National_Salvation_Front_(Romania)) (FSN) Council.{{in lang|ro}} [http://www.gandul.info/news/a-murit-radu-timofte-fostul-director-al-sri-5010681 "A murit Radu Timofte, fostul director al SRI" ("Radu Timofte, Former SRI Director, Dead")], ''[Gândul](/source/G%C3%A2ndul)'', 19 October 2009; accessed 21 October 2009 He was elected senator in [1990](/source/1990_Romanian_general_election), [1992](/source/1992_Romanian_general_election), [1996](/source/1996_Romanian_general_election), and [2000](/source/2000_Romanian_general_election), for the National Salvation Front (FSN) and its successor organisations, the [Democratic National Salvation Front](/source/Democratic_National_Salvation_Front) (FDSN) and the [Party of Social Democracy in Romania](/source/Social_Democratic_Party_(Romania)) (PDSR), which evolved into the Social Democratic Party (PSD) shortly before he left the legislature. As senator, he was president of a commission of enquiry into the [September 1991 Mineriad](/source/September_1991_Mineriad) (1991–92), vice president of the Romanian parliamentary commission to the [NATO Parliamentary Assembly](/source/NATO_Parliamentary_Assembly), a member of the defence, public safety and national security committee (1992–2001) and vice president of the joint parliamentary committee providing oversight to the activities of the [Foreign Intelligence Service](/source/Foreign_Intelligence_Service_(Romania)). He drafted more than fifteen pieces of legislation, which were adopted by Parliament. Timofte resigned his Senate seat in February 2001. Days earlier, he had been named director of ''Serviciul Român de Informații'' (SRI) by [President](/source/President_of_Romania) [Ion Iliescu](/source/Ion_Iliescu) and had won parliamentary confirmation. Later that year, he was made [Brigadier General](/source/Brigadier_General) in the reserves,{{in lang|ro}} Doru Dragomir, [https://archive.today/20070629035321/http://www.ziua.net/display.php?data=2001-11-30&id=77879 "Radu Timofte a ajuns general în rezervă" ("Radu Timofte Becomes Reserve General")], ''[Ziua](/source/Ziua)'', 30 November 2001; accessed 22 October 2009 becoming a Knight of the [Order of the Star of Romania](/source/Order_of_the_Star_of_Romania) in 2002.{{in lang|ro}} [https://archive.today/20120807022239/http://www.adevarul.ro/articole/2002/si-pamantul-s-a-cutremurat-cand-vacaroiu-a-fost-decorat.html "Şi pământul s-a cutremurat când Văcăroiu a fost decorat" ("Even the Earth Trembled When Văcăroiu Was Decorated")], ''[Adevărul](/source/Adev%C4%83rul)'', 2 December 2002; accessed 22 October 2009 In July 2006, together with Foreign Intelligence Service director {{ill|Gheorghe Fulga|ro}} and ''[Direcția Generală de Protecție Internă](/source/Direc%C8%9Bia_General%C4%83_de_Protec%C8%9Bie_Intern%C4%83)'' head [Virgil Ardelean](/source/Virgil_Ardelean), he resigned this office as a result of the controversy generated by the release and disappearance of terrorism suspect [Omar Hayssam](/source/Omar_Hayssam). At the time, it was noted that, whereas the three holdovers from previous administrations kept their positions after new President [Traian Băsescu](/source/Traian_B%C4%83sescu) praised the intelligence services for returning to Romania in May 2005 three hostages whose kidnapping in [Iraq](/source/Iraq) was masterminded by Hayssam, it was also the latter's flight that cost them their jobs.{{in lang|ro}} Andrei Badin, Liliana Năstase, [http://www.adevarul.ro/articole/2006/hayssam-i-a-salvat-hayssam-i-a-ingropat.html "Hayssam i-a salvat, Hayssam i-a îngropat" ("Hayssam Saved Them, Hayssam Buried Them")] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120716084321/http://www.adevarul.ro/articole/2006/hayssam-i-a-salvat-hayssam-i-a-ingropat.html |date=2012-07-16 }}, ''[Adevărul](/source/Adev%C4%83rul)'', 21 July 2006; accessed 22 October 2009 In June 2009, he was indicted by [National Anticorruption Directorate](/source/National_Anticorruption_Directorate) prosecutors for having allegedly purchased his work home at a below-market price—he paid [€](/source/Euro)35,000 for an apartment said to be worth around €200,000;{{in lang|ro}} [http://www.cotidianul.ro/fostul_sef_al_sri_radu_timofte_a_incetat_din_viata-101160.html "Fostul șef al SRI, Radu Timofte, a încetat din viață" ("Radu Timofte, Former SRI Director, Dead")] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091021002832/http://www.cotidianul.ro/fostul_sef_al_sri_radu_timofte_a_incetat_din_viata-101160.html |date=2009-10-21 }}, ''[Cotidianul](/source/Cotidianul)'', 19 October 2009; accessed 21 October 2009{{in lang|ro}} Silvana Pătrăşcanu, [http://www.evz.ro/articole/detalii-articol/857214/Procesul-lui-Radu-Timofte-incepe-la-mijlocul-lui-septembrie-/ "Procesul lui Radu Timofte începe la mijlocul lui septembrie" ("Radu Timofte's Trial Begins in Mid-September")], ''Cotidianul'', 1 July 2009; accessed 21 October 2009 the trial began in September. Also that summer, he refused to confirm or deny allegations that Romania had hosted a [Central Intelligence Agency](/source/Central_Intelligence_Agency) [black site](/source/black_site) several years earlier.{{in lang|ro}} Liviana Rotaru, [http://www.evz.ro/articole/detalii-articol/872284/Secretul-inchisorilor-CIA-tot-mai-departe-de-rezolvare/ "Secretul închisorilor CIA, tot mai departe de rezolvare" ("Secret of CIA Prisons, Even Farther from Resolution")], ''[Evenimentul Zilei](/source/Evenimentul_Zilei)'', 19 October 2009; accessed 21 October 2009 Timofte did meet with CIA director [George Tenet](/source/George_Tenet) twice in 2002, receiving a medal from him in [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.), and secretly in [Constanța](/source/Constan%C8%9Ba) in 2002.{{in lang|ro}} [http://www.evz.ro/index.php?zone=articole&task=detalii-articol&item=500022&page=Zece-avioane-CIA-au-bantuit-Romania¤t_date=2009-08-24 "Zece avioane CIA au bântuit România" ("Ten CIA Planes Roamed Romania")], ''[Evenimentul Zilei](/source/Evenimentul_Zilei)'', 12 April 2006; accessed 22 October 2009{{in lang|ro}} [https://archive.today/20120807022148/http://www.adevarul.ro/articole/2002/radu-timofte-bucuros-ca-pe-americani-nu-i-deranjeaza-securistii-nostri.html "Radu Timofte, bucuros ca pe americani nu-i deranjează securiștii noștri" ("Radu Timofte, Glad Our Securitate Men Don't Bother Them")], ''[Adevărul](/source/Adev%C4%83rul)'', 20 April 2002; accessed 22 October 2009 Timofte, aged 60, died in October 2009 from [leukemia](/source/leukemia), having been at the SRI hospital for several days. He was survived by his wife and three children.{{in lang|ro}} Silvana Pătrășcanu, Oana Dan, [http://www.evz.ro/articole/detalii-articol/872218/A-murit-Radu-Timofte/ "A murit Radu Timofte" ("Radu Timofte Dies")], ''[Evenimentul Zilei](/source/Evenimentul_Zilei)'', 19 October 2009; accessed 21 October 2009 Three days later, he was buried with military honours in his native village at a funeral attended by some 5,000 people, including locals, county officials, politicians from various parties, SRI commanders, [SPP](/source/Protection_and_Guard_Service) heads, and businesspeople. The [Romanian Orthodox](/source/Romanian_Orthodox_Church) service was held by a bishop from nearby Roman and fourteen priests.{{in lang|ro}} Olimpia Filip, [http://www.evz.ro/articole/detalii-articol/872850/A-refuzat-cavoul-de-piatra/ "A refuzat cavoul de piatră" ("He Refused a Stone Crypt")], ''[Evenimentul Zilei](/source/Evenimentul_Zilei)'', 23 October 2009; accessed 30 October 2009{{in lang|ro}} [http://www.ziua.net/display.php?data=2009-10-23&id=260617 "Onoruri pentru Radu Timofte" ("Honours for Radu Timofte")]{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, ''[Ziua](/source/Ziua)'', 23 October 2009; accessed 30 October 2009 ==References== {{reflist}} {{SRIHeads}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Timofte, Radu}} Category:1949 births Category:2009 deaths Category:People from Neamț County Category:Members of the Romanian Orthodox Church Category:Carol I National Defence University alumni Category:Romanian generals Category:Directors of the Romanian Intelligence Service Category:Social Democratic Party (Romania) politicians Category:Members of the Senate of Romania Category:Knights of the Order of the Star of Romania Category:Deaths from leukemia in Romania --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Radu Timofte](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radu_Timofte) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radu_Timofte?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.