The Bobeica Forestry Company of Hâncești district annually causes damage of at least 2.5 million lei to the state by the illegalities committed at the company, said Vasile Frunza, former forester of the Bobeica Forestry Company. In a news conference at IPN, the ex-forester stated he suspects that a part of this money goes to functionaries for these to hash up the wrongdoings in the forestry sector.
The former forester said Anatolie Untu, the manager of the Bobeica Forestry Company, in 2017 started to take action to remove him from the post of forester. In the summer of 2018, inspections were carried out in the forestry sector. As Anatolie Untu wanted to defend his honor and dignity, he found a scapegoat so that Vasile Frunza was made responsible for all the wrongdoings. “In the meantime, Mister Untu instructed us to execute repair works, to collects sum of money by selling wood,” said the ex-forester.
After ”Ziarul de Gardă” published a journalistic investigation, Anatolie Untu was subject to an internal inquiry and was suspended from post for ten days. “I submitted a denouncement to the Prosecutor General’s Office so that I could be questioned based on what I stated. I also asked the Prosecutor General’s Office to transfer the case from the Hâncești Prosecutor’s Office to another responsible body. I went to the Hâncești Prosecutor’s Office to make declarations. The next day, Mister Untu knew everything and started to hide the legalities he committed. The Prosecutor’s Office responded that there were no proofs and no reasons for transferring the case,” stated Vasile Frunza.
He noted he was dismissed following an inspection at the Boberica Forestry Company as a result of which there were found 96 stumps. Those trees were cut down much earlier and the operations were recorded in documents, but no one wanted to listen to his as the stamps put on stumps were no longer observable. The internal inquiry was committed in the period during which Vasile Frunza was on annual leave. “An order and a reprimand signed by me appeared, but in that period I wasn’t in the Republic of Moldova,” said Vasile Frunza. The ex-forester was reinstated after the ordinary court ruled in his favor in a trail. After his rehabilitation, a batch of wood was prepared for being used, but this contained a surplus of over 40% of wood, estimated at 270,000 lei. He refused to hide the surplus, as Mister Untu suggested for not appealing the decision in court. He asked that other competent bodies should examine the situation.
Vasile Frunza said that after he filed petitions to a number of responsible institutors, he will also send a letter to President Maia Sandu and a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights as he wants a fair trial.
