The ex-head of the Romanian Intelligence Service - SRI explained on Monday that the main reason for his resignation last week was that President Basescu told him he did not trust the Service anymore. Radu Timofte made the statement during a parliamentary hearing over his resignation in the case of fugitive Omar Hayssam, a businessman of Syrian descent charged with terrorism in Romania.

Following his account before a parliamentary commission, Timofte said he hoped he convinced the legislators that the SRI was not in breach with the Romanian law in the Hayssam case. He explained that the SRI had not been consulted when Hayssam, arrested over his involvement in the kidnapping of three Romanian journalists in Iraq last year, was freed on parole.

And he said nobody asked the SRI to monitor Hayssam after he was released.

The head of the parliamentary commission investigating the case, Liberal Radu Stroe, said on Monday a team will be establish to see whether anybody had a clear responsibility in the disappearance of Hayssam, who is believed to have left Romania.

The news came as a Syrian ship thought to have carried Hayssam out of the country, Al-Mahmoud 4, returned to the Romanian port of Midia on Monday morning. All the crew are dew to be grilled by the Romanian border police.