The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (MTI) had an exclusive role in signing the financing contract for the modernization of the Mihail Kogalniceanu International Airport, and the responsibility, regarding the contractual relationship with the contractor, lies entirely with the Airport, the institution specifies following an investigation published on Tuesday.
"Considering the information circulated in the public space, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (MTI) makes the following clarifications: MTI had an exclusive role in signing the financing contract, a contract that was signed by Director General Felix Ardelean (head of the structure that manages European funds) and the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Sorin Grindeanu, as representatives of the ministry. There was at no time a direct link between the financing contract signed by MTI and the execution contract signed by the representatives of Mihail Kogălniceanu International Airport. MTI only provided the financing. The conduct of the public procurement procedure and the signing of the works contract fell exclusively within the powers of the contracting authority, namely the Airport. The responsibility regarding the contractual relationship with the works contractor lies entirely with the Airport, as the contracting authority. Any discussion regarding the implementation of the execution contract concerns this authority and the association of contracting companies," the MTI press release states.
The institution also specifies that the airport has the legal obligation to verify whether the documents presented during the procedure are complete and compliant.
"It is not within the competence of the Airport's procurement experts to conduct background research regarding the absolute veracity of the content of the documents, if they appear to be legal. The notification regarding possible irregularities was sent by the Airport's representatives themselves, those who signed the execution contract, which demonstrates the responsible reaction of the contracting authority to possible suspicions. Based on the ongoing legal procedures, including court actions, if any damages caused to the contracting authority are found, there are legal mechanisms for recovering them," the press release states.
MTI recalls that companies participating in public procurement procedures have the legal obligation to submit declarations on their own responsibility regarding the veracity of the documents and their compliance with the legislation in force. In case of non-compliance with the legal provisions, the responsibility belongs entirely to the economic operators, who may be held civilly or criminally liable, depending on the gravity of the facts established.
According to a Snoop.ro investigation, a Turkish company is being investigated for falsifying documents that allowed it to win the contract to modernize Kogalniceanu Airport, which began in May 2023. The financing was signed by the then Minister of Transport, Sorin Grindeanu, and the execution was carried out by representatives of the airport and an association of companies from Romania and Turkey. The case reached the European Public Prosecutor's Office, led by Laura Codruta Kovesi.
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