Radu Timofte, head of the SRI (Romanian Secret Service), has told Mediafax that the image of the SRI is poor because of the controversy on the records of the ex Securitate (Communist Secret Service) and because of the lobby initiated by some well-off, whose personal interests are harmed by the SRI activity. Timofte reminds that Romanian president Traian Basesccu asked him to improve this image deficiency of the SRI. The SRI head also mentions that some of these well off are willing to spend much money in order to "blacken the SRI's activity". Timofte says they have already got offers from companies on the making of the SRI's image. He adds: "We have to be careful about what we choose, for there may be other interests at stake." (...) (D.D.)