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Save Romania Union (USR) notified the Management Authority, the European Anti-Fraud Office, the European Public Prosecutor's Office and the Court of Accounts in the case of the auction held by the Romanian Police for the purchase of BMW cars, USR president Catalin Drula announced in a press conference on Wednesday.
He specified that the acquisition involved European money and that the authorities that should deal with the control of the funds were notified.
"On the one hand, the Management Authority, which is the first to do the control activity. It is clearly violated the European directive also transposed in the national legislation which says that you cannot make technical specifications to restrict competition. And here is a clear case of financial corrections and reporting to OLAF. We have also reported to OLAF and the European Public Prosecutor's Office. It is an obligation that the Management Authority has: when it reports suspicions of fraud, to report to DLAF and the European Public Prosecutor's Office. I have sent Mr. Felix Ardelean, the managing director who deals with control, a notification in this regard. Also, the president of the Audit Authority within the Court of Accounts, the president of the Court of Accounts, as well as the European Commission, Commissioner Ferreira," the USR leader said, told Agerpres.
Drula declared that by the requirements formulated in the specifications "all competing models" would have been eliminated, through "small" modifications. In his opinion, for some requirements "there is no explanation".
"There were even jokes in the public space, that all that was left was to ask for the logo of the respective brand on the car. In fact, it's not a joke, it's a very serious thing, because it's a specification written to fit only one model of car, sold by the President (Iohannis, ed. n.)'s friend. There are European funds involved and this theft must be investigated. (...) Why in the specification the car must have a maximum of 1,450 mm? This eliminates two direct competitors who have 6 mm more on the car. All the features are made on one model. Together with my colleagues I did a market study. Basically, they eliminate all competing models or the two or three models that remain are from a completely different price range, which cannot compete on price, so it is a purchase with dedication," said Drula.
The USR chairman asked the chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), Crin Bologa, to take ex-officio action in this case.
The head of the Romanian Police, Benone Matei, declared on Monday that the procurement procedure of BMW special vehicles for the Romanian General Police Inspectorate (IGPR) equipment was supervised by the National Public Procurement Agency.
