Death threats in Volkov-Revenco scandal

Vladimir Volkov, the representative of a Swedish company, mandated by Ericsson AB in Moldova, received death threats. The announcement was made by Fiodor Ghelici, head of My Moldova public association, during a press conference. He claims that the threats come from Roman Revenco, head of the Border Guard Service (the Border Police since July 1), Info-Prim Neo reports. Fiodor Ghelici said that the bone of contention is the EU money for securing the Moldovan state border. The tender for the first stage of the project, with an European grant of €10.2 million, was won by the Swedish company Ericsson, which then subcontracted a Romanian company. The latter employed a zonal subcontractor to perform the works. This zonal subcontractor is the company represented by Vladimir Volkov. The project provided funds for the construction of facilities and the installation of modern equipment along the state border. The main beneficiary was the Border Guards Service, headed by Roman Revenco, who supervised the whole project. Fiodor Ghelici claims that Vladimir Volkov sent a letter to My Moldova association, asking for protection after he had received death threats. Volkov wrote that Roman Revenco requested €220,000 in illicit payoffs for the project to be successfully completed. Ghelici says that Volkov did offer Revenco €130,000. When the latter demanded the second part of the payment, Vladimir Volkov told him he had all the necessary evidence to prove Revenco corrupt and that he would bring them to the public, sending a copy to the donors as well. According to the My Moldova leader, Revenco was upset by this and threatened Volkov, in the presence of witnesses, that he would hire a killer from the Transnistrian region. Ghelici added that the argument between the two was followed by threats from the Ministry of the Interior against Volkov. He also accused Roman Revenco of falsifying papers, smuggling construction materials, office equipment, and presumably even drugs. Fiodor Ghelici said he would address a letter to the President, the Prime Minister and the Speaker demanding an investigation to be started and Roman Revenco to be suspended from office. He will request the prosecution to be handled by the Prosecutor General’s Office, as Revenco is allegedly the nephew of Interior Minister Alexei Roibu. Igor Caldare, member of My Moldova, said that files with evidence would be sent to the European Parliament, the Swedish Prime Minister and the German Chancellor. The project “Fixed and Mobile Communications Network for the Border Guard Service of Moldova” aimed to install a system of fixed and mobile communications system along sections of the state borders. In the first stage, 27 towers have been built and equipped and all the subdivisions of the Border Guards in Cahul, Leova and Ungheni (40 points) were furnished with IT equipment and infrastructure. The second stage, started in May, includes a border section of 385 km between Hancesti and Otaci and 44 points.