A number of persons responsible for the alimentation of children in education intuitions and business entities involved in the rigging of tender contests for the supply of schools and kindergartens with food products have been convicted within five criminal cases. Another five culprits are investigated in other cases concerning tender contest rigging. The information was presented by the head of the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office Viorel Morari in parliamentary hearings, IPN reports.
Viorel Morari said that 32 criminal cases were started overall over the ascertained deviations. A number of irregularities were identified during investigations, such as the favoring of a group of business entities, falsification of bids and prices, and founding of new firms to avoid the blacklist at the Public Procurement Agency.
National Food Safety Agency vice director Ion Toma said over 1,000 kg of incompliant or expired food products were withdrawn. As a result of inspections at education institutions, it was established that not all the cooking facilities met the sanitary norms. The cold storage facilities, the water supply and sewerage services, the equipment, plates and dishes for kitchen are worn out at all the institutions.
Secretary general of state at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research Igor Sharov said that a number of regulations were worked out to make those in charge of the organization of alimentation in education institutions at all stages responsible. These are being examined. The financial resources earmarked for alimentation are projected to be increased in 2018.
Even if the hearings lasted for several hours, the MPs didn’t approve a decision on the created situation and decided to submit again recommendations to the competent authorities so that these deal with the problems existing in the field.
