Romanian President Traian Basescu and prime minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu exchanged a series of serious accusations during a talk show on public television on Tuesday evening, charging each other with abuses, traffic of influence and lies in a series of scandals recently.

Attending the talk-show, PM Tariceanu dismissed as normal gestures recent claims that he tried to influence the course of justice by sending notes and making phone calls to influential people including the President, in favor of business cronies over the past couple of years.

But President Basescu intervened in the show by phone and accused Tariceanu of lies and of links with shady characters currently under investigation for their role in the privatization of the Romanian energy sector.

For his part Basescu, who was accused openly by PM Tariceanu of exceeding his duties by sending memoirs in favour of a local industrial plant, dismissed the claims and said the Alro Slatina plant had become a target of abuse by people deeply involved in obscure energy deals.

And he said one such controversial businessman, Nicolae Buzoianu, ran a company with which Tariceanu concluded a disastrous deal when he served as Industry minister years ago.