The Foundation For The Defense Of Citizens Against State Abuses (FACIAS) has filed a new complaint with the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) in relation to the abusive procurement carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report of the parliamentary committee investigating procurement during the pandemic brought to light repeated abuses made during that period and clear suspicions of illegality. These were allegedly committed by persons in managerial and/or executive positions in the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU) and the Inspectorate General for Emergency Situations (IGSU).
Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, a series of public procurement of medical products were made in Romania, citing the need to provide products to prevent and combat COVID-19. However, these procurements raised questions about the excessive volume of products purchased, overpriced products and inefficient use of the Romanian state's financial resources. Among the accusations against the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU) are the failure to substantiate the estimated values submitted to the National Office for Centralised Procurement (ONAC) in accordance with the provisions of Government Emergency Ordinance No 11/2020, the communication of exorbitant prices compared to previously contracted offers, and the failure to comply with the 45-day deadline set in the ordinance for drawing up the Nomenclature for medical emergency stocks and the methodology for their use. Reference is also made to the request for negotiation procedures without prior publication of a contract notice in the post-emergency period.
"Urgent" purchases that have never been used
The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU) is accused of paying for the transport and handling of products without recovering them from the supplier as provided for in the contract, not recovering payments made in advance to some suppliers and not using a significant volume of medical products and equipment purchased under the strict necessity procedure. Specifically, the IGSU paid almost €5 million in advance for medical equipment that was never delivered. Inexplicably, the IGSU has not recovered the money given as an advance, although the contract has not been honoured by the suppliers. Moreover, equipment worth more than €10 million was never used, even though it was purchased under a strictly necessary procedure. We are talking about about 250 medical ventilators, oxygen therapy devices, nasopharyngeal tests or gowns for doctors.
In the complaint submitted to DNA, FACIAS highlights the attitude of the head of the DSU, Raed Arafat, a key figure in coordinating activities during the pandemic, who has failed to appear before the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry in all six meetings of the committee, although he was summoned, citing various reasons. His evasiveness raises serious questions about his own actions or those of his subordinates. Does Raed Arafat have something to hide?
FACIAS calls on DNA to investigate these cases of abusive procurement and to bring to light all aspects of these illegalities. It is important that those responsible are held accountable and face the legal consequences of their actions. As a reminder, FACIAS filed another criminal complaint at the end of April for the "cannon" of anti-covid masks, with the damage found by the Court of Auditors amounting to almost €30 million.
We reiterate our firm commitment to fight corruption and abuses by the state and to protect the interests of citizens. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a difficult time for the whole society and the misuse of financial resources and public procurement abuses cannot be tolerated.