The leader of the Party “Action and Solidarity” Maia Sandu, who is running in the presidential elections, said she found out from the press about the existence of a criminal case started against officials of the Ministry of Education over the purchase of video surveillance cameras for the Baccalaureate exams of 2013, when she held the post of Minister of Education. In a news conference on October 26, the candidate said she received no citation, but if she receives one she will go to the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO), IPN reports.
Maia Sandu said that in the spring of 2013, the Ministry of Education announced a tender contest to purchase video cameras for surveying the Baccalaureate exams. The winner of the contest started to install the cameras when the PGO issued a notice saying the company imported another model of cameras than that indicated in the contest documents.
“When we drew up the contest documents, we invited a number of specialists to establish the technical parameters. For us, it was very important for the product to meet the technical specifications. When we received the notice from the PGO, we had two options – to stop the installation of cameras and have Baccalaureate exams held in improper conditions, as during the other sessions. The alternative was to go on. We did so, but told the supplier that we will not pay for the cameras until we do not see the final decision of the PGO,” stated Maia Sandu.
Later, when the PGO made an order to drop the charges, the Ministry of Education paid the cost of surveillance cameras. ”I know that we didn’t break the law at all. I want to remind those who want to transmit these negative signals that owing to these surveillance cameras, we managed to save 100 million lei. This is the value of the bribe that hadn’t been paid during the first two years of my term. This is real fight against corruption. We will act similarly in relation to the state institutions and the Prosecutor General’s Office,” said Maia Sandu, adding that her summoning in a case suits her opponents, namely Marian Lupu and Igor Dodon.
The PGO reacted, denying that it has opened or reopened a criminal case against officials of the Ministry of Education. “This is false information and we fully disapprove of the way in which an attempt is made to manipulate again the public opinion. In this connection, the PGO reiterates its call to the persons running in elections – not to disseminate false information about the institution’s work,” it said.
The Democratic Party also issued a press release whereby it condemns the conduct of a more aggressive campaign by the supporters of candidate Maia Sandu, who is accused of continuing to attack the representatives of the PDM. “If these are the manners of the joint candidate, the PDM warns that they are inadmissible in an electoral competition. We will notify the Central Election Commission and the law enforcement agencies of this. We also request the observers to report such nondemocratic behavior,” says the party.
