Dozens of officials of Romgaz management, the Ministry of Economy and the National Energy Regulatory are charged for having produced a loss of 126 million dollars by illegally approving the provision of gas at preferential prices for the Interagro factory, owned by Romanian billionaire Ioan Nicolaie.

UPDATE 20.50: The persons prosecuted in this case were monitored by the Romanian Information Service (SRI), which notified the Directorate for Prosecutors Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) on the actions of undermining the national economy of Interagro, the company of Ioan Nicolaie, judicial sources have told Mediafax.

UPDATE: According to the release of DIICOT, “Directorate for Prosecutors Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism - Central structure ordered prosecution against a number of 40 persons, civil servants in leading positions within SNGN ROMGAZ SA, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Environment of Business, the National Energy Regulatory - A.N.R.E and representatives of a company in Bucharest, for crimes of conspiracy and undermining the national economy.

The defendants charged for criminal activity caused a prejudice of 126 million USD to SNGN ROMGAZ SA and the consolidated state budget and resulted in endangering the national power system.

Criminal activity targeted the company’s way of contracting considerable quantities of natural gas at prices considerably reduced from the average prices of SNGN ROMGAZ SA, obtaining natural gas from domestic production only, without following the statutory regulations and the maintenance facilities granted to the company, while the company had a significant debt to pay for the gas supplied.

Criminal activity caused the failure of distribution of SNGN ROMGAZ SA reserves necessary for the national program storage and natural gas import growth, with consequent harm to the National Power System as strategic branch of economy and undermining the economy national.

Between 28 -29 December 2011, at the DIICOT were heard 35 people, who have been notified of the accusation, and in the period immediately after hearing the other accused is to take place.
"DIICOT Prosecutors have called for hearings 27 people in current and former leadership positions of Romgaz, and the Ministry of Economy, in a file that is researched the sale of gas at preferential prices to multiple companies owned by businessman Ioan Nicolaie. This would have been illegal since Nicolaie's companies were indebted to the state at that time.

Francisc Toth, deputy general manager and former general director of Romgaz in 2008, confirmed that 27 people with responsibilities in the commercial end of gas contracts have been heard in this case, by the DIICOT. Toth was also heard, but did not say if it has been officially charged. "I am reading the news look and I'm surprised. It’s crazy" said Toth.

Businessman Ioan Nicolaie, the patron of Interagro, said that none of his companies was favored in gas contracts from state reserves; "it was the price set at the national level, we were not favored in any way". Nicolaie confirmed that he was called by the DIICOT on December 24, to appear at hearing on December 29, but failed to appear, as “the time is too short for his lawyers to consult the companies acts”, the businessman explained.

Translated from Romanian by Diana Adela Ionita.