"It might be good if he returns into the country to clear out the situation"

The ship-owner Tartoussi, acused of complicity to Omar Hayssam'flee from Romania

The news heard on Friday, regarding to a possible extradition of Omar Hayssam in Romania gave a new hope to the ship-owner Mustafa Tartoussi. Omar Hayssam is the man sentenced in his absence to 20 years of prison for organizing the kidnapping of three Romanian journalists in Irak. It is supposed that the Syrian flee out of the country on a ship owned by Mustafa Tartoussi. As a result of the accusation of complicity to Hayssam's flee from the country, for almost three years the Syrian ship-owner, who has business in Romania since 1982, is forbidden to leave Romania.

We contacted Tartoussi so he can express his opinion regarding a possible extradition of Hayssam in Romania to do his punishment here, and he declared us that this action can only be the beginning of clearing out the whole situation: "It might be good if he returns into the country. I have requested that many times, but until now nothing changed. If he comes in Romania, he can say exactly the way things actually happened".

According to the evidence revealed by the prosecutors, on the night of June 30, 2006 Mustafa Tartoussi took Omar Hayssam from a place outside Constanta Port. On November 30, 2007 the prosecutors requested preventive arrest against Mustafa Tartoussi, but the request was dismissed by the Appeal Court. Instead, the Court established just that Tartoussi is forbidden to leave the country. According to DIICOT indictments regarding Hayssam's flee from Romania, in the Arab community and in the underworld environment there is a rumor that Mustafa Tartoussi has the possibility to get anyone out of the country without a rigorous check, because of his connections to the Border Police and to the Romanian Customs.