Compromised tenders? Dragalin speaks about irregularities in the construction of the Leova-Bumbata road
The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office started a criminal case in connection with the construction of the Leova-Bumbata road, based on suspicions regarding the selection of both the design company and the company that carried out the works. The statement was made by the head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, Veronica Dragalin, in an interview with the TV8 TV channel. According to her, the case was initiated based on suspicions of abuse of power.
“The project had two main stages: the first was the design stage, in which a company was appointed to estimate the costs and draw up the technical plan of the construction, and the second stage involved the selection of a company for the actual execution of the works. In both cases, the public procurement procedures raised questions”, explained Dragalin.
The PA head pointed out that the company that won the contract for the construction of the road began work in June 2022, but the official contract was signed only in September 2022, which raises suspicions about compliance with legal procedures.
Regarding the design company, Veronica Dragalin mentioned that its selection was made suspiciously. Although four companies were invited to participate in the tender, the request for quotation was initially sent to only one of them, which responded quickly. Thus, the contract was signed before the other companies could submit their bids: “*The design company that won, approximately 2 million lei, has a close relationship with a company whose manager is the wife of the current head of the ASD (State Road Agency). This does not mean that we know that there are illegalities, but we have opened a criminal case because there are suspicions," Dragalin added.
The construction of the access road to the Leova-Bumbata border crossing point began in the fall of 2022. Initially, the total value of the project was estimated at 250 million lei. After a period, the costs increased by another 30 million lei.
In December 2023, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office initiated a criminal case for abuse of office, because the costs for the construction of the road aroused suspicions. Previously, prosecutors also conducted searches in the offices of employees of the State Road Administration, as well as companies involved in construction and design.
In May 2024, an employee of the State Road Administration was charged in a criminal case regarding the mismanagement of the construction of this road. The official is accused of abuse of office. During the criminal investigation, it was found that during the construction of this access road, the state was harmed by approximately 250 million lei.
At that time, the media wrote that the person charged was the general director of the ASD, Sergiu Bejan. He then admitted that he had been questioned by prosecutors, but he refused to provide other details. Bejan wanted to say in a comment for Teleradio-Moldova that all expenses for the construction of the Leova-Bumbata access road were made transparent and that all information was made public.
