Notification on concession of Chisinau International Airport submitted to national anticorruption centre, general prosecutor's office of Moldova

Chisinau, 12 August /MOLDPRES/ – The head of the Commission of inquiry (CA) for analysis of organisation and conduct of the privatisation and concession of public property (2013 – 2019), Igor Munteanu, has announced that a complaint has been filed with the General Prosecutor's Office (PG) and the National Anticorruption Centre (CNA), on the concession of the Chisinau International Airport (AIC).

"In the process of analysis, the Commission identified several pieces of evidence that were made available by the Public Property Agency (APP) and several witnesses. There have been certain violations, the examination of which is within the competence of the law enforcement bodies. Thus, we have notified the CNA and PG today because it is already necessary that, in parallel with the work of the parliamentary committee of inquiry, to intervene of those who will probably carry out a larger investigation. Given that these are senior officials, the examination of which is within the competence of the law enforcement bodies, we expect the CNA and PG to register our complaint," said Igor Munteanu.

According to quoted source, there are signs of concern about how it was withdrawn for concession the AIC, as long as it is on the list of non – passable privatisation objects. The CA has also requested that PG and CNA verify the actions of the persons which participated in the decision on deetatisation of public property and whether there were concerted their actions. “Another aspect to be verified is the way in which the members of competition commission regarding the selection of the concessionaire carried out their activity, as the concession contract was negotiated, so that in the end it would contain clauses clearly to the detriment of state. There is a suspicion that the inaction of the members of competition commission was directed and determined by third groups, interested in the result of contest”, said Munteanu.

The airport was granted a concession in 2013 for a period of 49 years.