DNA Brasov prosecutors have sued several people accused of tricking a public tender for catering services at Brasov County Hospital, favoring a company that illegally received millions of lei.
Three people, sued by DNA Photos Photos / Octav Ganea
The prosecutors of the National Anticorruption Directorate – Brasov Territorial Service ordered the judicial control to be sent to court of three persons to trick a tender for catering services at the Brasov County Emergency Clinical Hospital. This is Barra Floare, former financial-accounting director, Stoica Ovidiu Mihnea, the head of the procurement service, and LL, the administrator of the company SC Amrita Com SRL, the company that finally won the contract.
At the same time, the company SC Amrita Com SRL was sent to court, for complicity in abuse in service.
How was the catering company favored
The DNA investigation shows that, between November 2020 and June 2021, Barra Floare would have violated her duties and determined her subordinate, Stoica Ovidiu Mihnea, to support an illegal public procurement procedure to favor the company SC Amrita Com SRL.
Initially, the previous contract with this company had expired, but the two defendants deliberately delayed the launch of a new auction to extend the collaboration with SC Amrita Com SRL through short -term contracts. Subsequently, after a competitive procedure was initiated, it was canceled “Against the background of an agreement ” with the representative of the company.
At the beginning of 2021, the two would have resumed the tender procedure, but with a modified documentation so that only SC Amrita Com SRL could win. In particular, a restrictive condition was introduced regarding the turnover, established by “Artificial increase ” of the value of a subsequent contract. Estimates on the portions of food needed for patients were swollen by over 200%, which led to the exclusion of other bidders.
“Within a month, the hospital officials involved in this procedure have found, in the absence of any objective events/justifications, that the hospital will have a three -more times greater number of patients than it was initially estimated.”is shown in the DNA statement.
Contract over 14 million, invoices paid before the deadline
On June 23, 2021, the auction was won by SC Amrita Com SRL, being signed a framework agreement worth 14,868,100 lei, valid for two years. Based on it, between July 2021 and December 2023 there were 35 subsequent contracts, which generated invoices worth 18,244,670 lei, all paid in the hospital, some “C”u long before the deadlines”.
DNA notes that while LL's companies were paid priority, the hospital had arrears to other suppliers. Moreover, “some of the contracted services […] they were not necessary”, Being delivered more portions than the actual number of patients admitted, and the quality of the food would have been weak.
Promised influence in exchange for favors
According to investigators, between September 2019 – October 2023, he would have asked Floare Barra to influence the auctions and the priority payment of the invoices issued by his companies. Instead, LL would have promised that he would intervene in addition to an influential person from the management of a local public institution so that a relative of the financial director is employed “preferentially”.
Also, in another case, Stoica Ovidiu Mihnea would have provided illegally to a confidential information manager before a tender regarding the purchase of medical equipment, which allowed that company to win the contract.
Injury of over 18 million lei
“The damage to the detriment of the Brasov County Emergency Clinical Hospital is estimated at the value of 18,244,670 lei”, States DNA. In addition, “The hospital's legitimate interest in ensuring quality nutrition to hospitalized patients has been endangered, according to the norms approved by the Minister of Health”.
Prosecutors have instituted insurance measures on the assets and bank accounts of the defendants natural persons. The file was sent for trial to the Brasov Court, with the proposal to maintain preventive measures and insurers.
We mention that the trial is not defeated the principle of the presumption of innocence, and this stage represents the completion of the criminal investigation, according to the Criminal Procedure Code.
