Chisinau International Airport concession contract is based on Government decisions that are contrary to the legal provisions, which is why it will be required to ascertain the absolute nullity of the transaction by a competent court of Moldova. The signing of this contract has seriously affected the public interest, public order and legality, declared at the Parliament plenary the Chairman of the Inquiry Committee for the evaluation of the preparation and conduct of the Chisinau International Airport concession, Igor Munteanu, IPN reports.
Following the hearing of the Committee's report, the Parliament passed a decision asking the Government to evaluate the possibility of taking legal action in the national courts in order to declare the concession contract void. The Parliament also asked the Government to submit a notification for the criminal investigation of actions and inactions of the members of the Monitoring Commission during the years 2013-2019 and of the execution of the Airport concession contract. Likewise, the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure shall carry out a complex technical-economic audit on the investments made by the concession company Avia Invest, in order to establish the real value of its assets. The Parliament also asked the Prosecutor General's Office to verify how the modernization fee was introduced at the airport and to examine all documents and correspondence between those involved in the concession contest, including by addressing rogatory commissions in the Russian Federation.
In his remarks, Sergiu Sîrbu, PDM MP, said that alas he did not find out anything new in the Committee’s report. The Committee only compiled the previous reports, giving them a new interpretation. The Democratic parliamentarian also mentioned that for the Committee's reports, over 200 thousand lei were spent from the state budget, money that should be returned to the state.
The MP of PAS group, ACUM Bloc, Lilian Carp, compared corruption in the Republic of Moldova with a tree growing in the desert. This is because "Moldova is deserted and poor, just like a desert, while the deep-rooted tree that resembles corruption in Moldova becomes increasingly embedded in the people’s poverty". According to the parliamentarian, "the groups that have lobbied for the airport concession are the ones who have lobbied for the theft of the billion, and also participated in raider attacks on the banks". "This theft could only take place due to political support," said Lilian Carp.
Vlad Batrancea, PSRM MP, said that from the airport the money went directly for financing the PDM parliamentary elections campaign. "We will urge the Government to initiate the procedure for terminating the airport concession contract, on the grounds that a state asset has been stolen, the concession procedure has been violated and tremendous damage has been caused to the state," said the Socialist.
Chisinau International Airport was given in concession for a period of 49 years in the autumn 2013 to Avia Invest company. Recently, "NR Investments Ltd" company managed to complete the transaction of buying a 95% share of "Avia Invest".