Criminal cases started over irregularities in managing donations

A number of persons holding responsible positions in the Territorial Autonomous Unit of Gagauzia are investigated in four criminal cases opened over irregularities in distributing 5,000 tonnes of food wheat and 5,000 tonnes of diesel fuel from the donation offered by Russia in 2008-2009, Info-Prim Neo reports. In a meeting of the interdepartmental commission for humanitarian aid, Mihai Malic, head of the Labor Ministry’s Humanitarian Aid Division, said that the diesel fuel, instead of being distributed to farmers, was sold by fraudulent schemes. As to the wheat, the representatives of the Gagauz administration said that it was stored in the region’s reserve fund, but, according to Mihai Malic, in the period when the donation was made, Gagauzia didn’t have its own reserve fund. The head of Gagauzia’s Economy, Trade, Services and External Economic Relations Vitalie Kiurkciu said that they made a list of the recipients of assistance from the 26 settlements of the region. 3,200 tonnes of wheat reached the destination. Another 1,800 tonnes were used to create the wheat reserve of Gagauzia. The donation of diesel fuel was distributed in a similar way. “These resources are not in a store now. They work for the economic development of Gagauzia. A part of the fuel was offered to economic entities based on agreements. The spent quantity will be returned within a certain period of time. The wheat is at the store of a company that won the tender contest for renewing the quantity of food wheat. Meanwhile, there were identified irregularities at the given company,” said Vitalie Kiurkciu. He also said that the problem of donations in 2008-2009 has been discussed for five years and this shows that somebody pursues hidden goals.