Serve persons were arrested by NAC officers and anticorruption prosecutors in a criminal case that concerns the selection of companies that were to build paid parking lots in Chisinau. These are deputy mayor Nistor Grozavu, head of the Public Transport Division Igor Gamretski, an ex-municipal councilor, the administrators of three parking companies and a businessman who is suspected of managing from behind a number of companies that took part in the tender contest, including the winning one, IPN reports.
In a press release, the National Anticorruption Center says that in July 2015, the Public Transport and Communications Division announced a tender contest for the organization and management of paid parking places in Chisinau. Mandatory conditions towards bidders was groundlessly added such as to prove that they managed at least six million parking transactions during the past three years and that they provided paid parking services through the agency of electronic payment technologies in at least five towns during the last two years. Sixteen companies bought the specification, but only two submitted tenders – non-resident EME PARKLEITSYSTEM GmbH and resident Sizif-L SRL. The last was disqualified for the reason that it didn’t present all the documents.
The criminal case was started amid suspicions that the deputy mayor signed the contract with the winning company without this being approved by the Chisinau Municipal Council. But the law on the public-private partnership provides that the contract clauses are negotiated after the winner is chosen and the draft contract is submitted to the Municipal Council for approval and signing.
Investigators established that officials of the Chisinau City Hall had periodic meetings with a businessman who is suspected of secretly managing the winning company, other parking companies and offshore companies. Evidence is being collected to show that the tender contest was rigged and functionaries of the City Hall and representatives of the winner acted in collusion.
The seven arrested persons are investigated for abuse of power. They face up to ten years in jail and ban on holding particular posts and performing particular activities for 10 to 15 years.
Transport Division head also arrested after deputy mayor Grozavu
Officers of the NAC arrested the head of the Public Transport and Communications Division Igor Gamretski and former municipal councilor Gennady Ivashchenko for 72 hours in the case concerning paid parking lots in Chisinau. The two are suspected of abuse of power and were arrested following searches at their homes and offices.
/12:54pm/ Nistor Grozavu escorted to National Anticorruption Center
Deputy mayor of Chisinau municipality Nistor Grozavu was escorted to the National Anticorruption Center, where he was familiarized with the investigation order. The Center’s press officer Angela Starinski said the functionary is suspected of abuse of power in the case of paid parking lots and was arrested for 72 hours.
/12 midday/ Searches in office of Igor Gamretski
Anticorruption prosecutors and officers are performing searches in the office of the head of the Chisinau Public Transport and Communications Division Igor Gamretski within a legal case that concerns the building of paid parking lots in Chisinau.
NAC press officer Angela Starinski stated that the administrators of three parking companies were arrested as a result of this morning’s searches.
Searches were also carried out at the home of deputy mayor of Chisinau Nistor Grozavu, who was then escorted to the Chisinau City Hall. The functionary hasn’t been arrested.
/09:08am/ Searches at homes of persons involved in paid parking places project
The National Anticorruption Center (NAC) and anticorruption prosecutors are carrying out searches at the homes of persons involved in the project to build paid parking places in Chisinau. The information was confirmed for IPN by the Center’s press officer Angela Starinski.
She noted that both functionaries of the Chisinau City Hall and businessmen are being searched.
