The Association of Private Carriers doesn’t recognize the results of the contest of distributing minibus routes in Chisinau two years ago. “The tender infringed all legal norms on transparency”, said the association’s president, Ion Mamaliga, Info-Prim Neo reports. “The basic stipulations of law weren’t followed. The announcement about the date and place of the contest wasn’t published in the gazette, despite the Regulation of baggage and passengers carriers in Chisinau”, mentioned Ion Mamaliga. According to him, participants that didn’t meet the minimum requirements had been accepted and they won the most and the best routes. The results led to serious conflicts and the Municipal Council annulled its own decisions. However, CMC’s decision was challenged and the Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. “The Court of Appeal ignored the committed infringements, and undermined the local authorities, arrogating the competences of the Municipal Council. Judge A. Gavrilita’s ruling conferred legal power to the hostile takeover committed on May 12, 2009 when the routes had been distributed”, stressed Ion Mamaliga. According to the president of the Association of Private Carriers, a former municipal councilor himself, one of the winning companies, Dongtur Ltd., obtained 12 routes, despite having only 4 transport units. “Officially, the owner is Galina Siscanu, but it’s actually controlled by Oleg Oniscenco”, added Ion Mamaliga. Municipal councilor Oleg Oniscenco told Info-Prim Neo the companies that had won the tender had the right to conclude contracts with minibus owners. According to him, 99% of the minibuses in Chisinau are rented from natural persons by route administrators. “Ion Mamaliga is trying to create some artificial tension between drivers. He’s politically motivated. Ion Mamaliga is a PDM member, he’s promoting their candidate and wants to fill the minibuses with their posters”, said Oniscenco. Oleg Oniscenco, who was the head of the specialized commission at the time of the tender contest, assured that all legal procedures had been respected. The commission members awarded points and the winners were the carriers with most points. Unhappy minibus drivers protested this week in front of the Supreme Court of Justice, which examines the proceeding against the Court of Appeal’s ruling. The next hearing will take place on May 25.