The National Anticorruption Center (CNA) and the General Prosecutor's Office (PG) have been informed about the concession of the Chisinau International Airport. The notification came from the Parliamentary Inquiry Commission in charge of analysing how high-profile privatizations had been carried out between 2013-2019 and was announced by MP Igor Munteanu, the Commission Chairman, at a press briefing on Monday, IPN reports.
Igor Munteanu said that the commission has identified evidence that shows several violations in the process of Airport’s concession. "We have notified the CNA and the Prosecutor's Office, because we need the help of those who could carry out a deeper investigation," the parliamentarian said.
Igor Munteanu says that high ranking officials were involved in the concession of the Airport. "What raises concerns is the way how Chisinau Airport was taken out for concession, given that it was on the list of property that could not be privatized," the deputy said.
According to Igor Munteanu, the CNA and the Prosecutor's Office must verify the actions of those who participated in making the concession decision. "There is a reasonable suspicion that the inaction of the competition commission members was directed by third-party groups interested in the outcome of the contest," the deputy specified.
Igor Munteanu also mentioned that there were serious violations in how the concession unfolded. "There have been established 2015-2016 doubtful transactions of the group that received the concession for the benefit of the companies within the Șor group," the deputy specified.
According to him, it is necessary to find out which was the Government’s right to assign the assets of Chisinau Airport to other companies and how transparent the concession tender was, as long as it was a closed one.
"We found out blatant things. The person who selected the international companies to whom the invitations were sent was Mr. Jardan, then director of the Airport. Finally, he participated in the selection contest and, after some time, he became the manager of the winning company”, Igor Munteanu mentioned. The deputy also said that the connections between Petru Jardan and Ilan Șor should be investigated.
The Inquiry Commission asked the CNA and the Prosecutor General's Office to verify the existence of criminal elements in the concession of Chisinau Airport, to start a criminal investigation in order to identify the persons responsible for the concession and to hold them accountable.