Employees of the Talmaza forest company, including engineers and decision-makers, but also employees of the Environmental Protection Inspectorate are allegedly involved in a wood fraud. Minister of Environment Sergiu Lazarencu told the press that a difference of 344 cubic meters of wood between the real wood mass and the one indicated in the documents was determined as a result of checks. This amount represents about 50 trucks of wood that were most probably sold illegally, as the minister believes, IPN reports.

Sergiu Lazarencu said that a commission was created in June to check how the forest companies use the wooded areas and the timber.

“The misuse of standing timber is one of the ways in which damage is caused to the environment and also to the forestry sector. We found out this during the inspection at the Tighina forest enterprise, more precisely at the Talmaza forest company. The preliminary data are alarming. Following the examination of only 4.1 hectares of wooded areas, which were to be exploited in the autumn of 2024, a difference in volumes of 491 steres or 344 cubic meters was discovered, the value of which is around 360,000 lei. Together with all the violations detected at the company, the damage can exceed half a million lei,” stated the minister.

“Moldsilva” Agency director Victor Durbala said that based on an order, a joint working group was constituted to carry out checks between June 18 and July 5 at the Talmaza forest company and the Tighina forest enterprise. The results will be forwarded to the responsible institutions. A number of internal inquires will be conducted and the persons who committed violations will be penalized.