The head of the Chisinau General Public Transport and Communications Division Igor Gamretski will stand trial. Prosecutors completed the investigation and sent the case started over influence peddling when choosing companies that were to build pay parking lots in Chisinau to court, IPN reports.
According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, in July 2015 the Chisinau Municipal Council announced a tender contest for the organization and management of pay parking places in Chisinau. Mandatory conditions towards bidders were groundlessly added, such as to prove that they performed at least six million parking transactions during the past three years and that they provided pay 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.
After the contract was signed between the Chisinau City Hall and the wining company, a criminal case was started amid suspicions that deputy mayor Nistor Grozavu signed the contract without this being approved by the Chisinau Municipal Council. 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 Igor Gamretski 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 prove that the tender contest was rigged and functionaries of the City Hall and representatives of the winning company acted in collusion.
The Transport Division head concluded a blame acceptance agreement with prosecutors in exchange for a milder punishment. He is investigated under house arrest and faces a fine of 150,000 to 200,000 lei or up to six years in jail.
