NGO leader accuses authorities of having interests in donating over 50 ha of land

The president of the Moldova mea NGO, Fiodor Ghelici, accuses the authorities of having interests in donating over 50 ha of land. Friday, Ghelici told a news conference that the land was to be given for free to a Belgian firm instead of that company's building the Republican Stadium. “This company has no capital to carry out the tasks of the contract. The company, which is supposed to be Belgian, is a dubious one, behind which state dignitaries hide. How is it possible that a company working for a year only, with a capital of 5,400 lei, should sign with the authorities a contract on re-building the Republican Stadium, the value of which is assessed at 35 million euros,” Ghelici asked. “The old stadium was destroyed, while the managers of the firm that should re-build the stadium say they do not intend to do this,” he added. “When I asked Vasile Tarlev (a premier when the contract was signed – e.n.) why he signed the contract without verifying the identity of the company, he told me to go and ask the general prosecutor's office. If Tarlev recommended to go to the prosecutor's office, it means very influential people stand behind this deal, whose orders are executed even by the prime-minister,” Fiodor Ghelici said. In September 2008, the Government inked a decision by which the 100-percent stake of the government (33,961 units) in SA Stadionul Republican and the area on Tighina str. were transferred to the Sports Agency under the management of the Constructions Ministry. Asked by Info-Prim Neo, the Ministry's spokeswoman, Rodica Vasiliev, rejected there would be a contract to build the stadium. Earlier, first deputy premier Igor Dodon stated that earlier in 2008 a decision was adopted to set up a joint company to build the future sports complex. The partner was a Belgian investor. Since there emerged a series of problems, including financial, the intention was abandoned. Igor Dodon then said the Constructions Ministry was to announce a tender to select the blue-prints makers and the firms to build the new stadium. The old stadium was demolished in the summer of 2007.