Energy experts consider there are preconditions for annulling the results of the contest to fill the vacancy of director of the National Agency for Energy Regulation (NAER), which was won by ex-deputy minister of justice Tudor Copaci. The issue was developed in the program “Politics” on TV 7 channel, IPN reports.

Energy expert Sergiu Tofilat considers the contest was fixed to be won by Tudor Copaci and provided a number of arguments in support of his assertion. “Copaci got the highest score. He is a specialist in energy. He received points for knowledge of English and for communication skills. He obtained a high score for knowledge of macroeconomics. But the NAER director needs knowledge in microeconomics, including of how prices at enterprises are formed. Moreover, the interviews weren’t made public and were held behind closed doors,” stated the expert.

Political analyst Dionis Cenusa also believes the contest was rigged. “It wasn’t a transparent contest. It’s clear that it was fixed because the PDM is trying to take control of the NAER. Copaci is a member of the PDM. For a party, it is important to keep the NAER under control, especially in the electoral period, when they can play with the tariffs of energy resources to attract public,” he said.

Ex-NAER director Victor Parlicov said the government needs to keep the NAER under control in order to hide the thefts committed in the energy sector. “The managers in the energy sector have two possibilities of stealing – directly from the owner or from the tariffs imposed on consumers. When the NAER discovers these thefts, it is obliged to exert pressure on different institutions. If it is controlled politically, the Agency will not fulfill its duties in particular cases,” he stated.

Tudor Copaci won the contest to fill the vacant post of NAER director staged by the Parliament’s commission on economy, budget and finance. The contest involved 12 candidates.