Searches of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in Galati, in a Fraud File with Damage of 7 Million Eu

“Today, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Cluj-Napoca (Romania) is conducting 12 searches as part of an investigation targeting officials of the Lower Danube River Administration Galati (AFDJ) and the Romanian Naval Authority (ANR). In the case we are talking about a suspicion of fraud related to the purchase of two tugboats – powerful boats used to tow larger boats and ships – for the Lower Danube Delta,” the European Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a press release.

EPPO specifies that three searches took place in three public institutions, one in Galati County and two in Constanța County. Seven other searches took place at the homes of civil servants who work for these institutions, and two took place at private companies.

“According to the evidence collected so far in this investigation, civil servants from AFDJ Galati, as its representatives, obtained European funding through the Large Infrastructure Operational Program (POIM) for the purchase of two multifunctional tugboats. This was the result of a public procurement contract launched in September 2019, for a total amount of 35,144,000 lei (approximately 7 million euros)”, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office also sent.

Prosecutors suspect that civil servants presented inaccurate documents to finance the project.

“Although the boats were intended exclusively for river navigation, the suspects drew up the specifications of the tender based on the more restrictive technical characteristics and construction requirements specific to maritime vessels. Therefore, the type of boats that fit the criteria in the specification was very limited, which prevented the participation of other economic operators in the tender procedure and, in the end, favored only one candidate”, it is also stated in the quoted press release.

According to the cited source, “following the completion of the contract with the supplier company, the two tugboats were delivered in July 2021 with a higher draft than that originally provided for in the tender specifications and in the purchase contract”.

“This made them exclusively adapted for the maritime Danube, where the water depth allows navigation with a greater draft – which made the two boats unusable for river navigation, as they could not transit the full reservoirs of the river sector of the Danube. This caused damage to the EU budget in the amount of approximately 7 million euros”, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office also transmitted.

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