Records. Evidence as another member of the Bolojan government offered bribes to take works, while he was a businessman / Transport Minister Ciprian Șerban gave bribe then denounced / “Well, as much as it is, 4%, as I said at the beginning” / You hear how the money is counted.

Ciprian Șerban, the current Minister of Transport, was a denouncer in a corruption file, and before claiming the deed at the National Anticorruption Directorate offered bribe at least six times, in 2012, to representatives of a forest bypass in Iași county, according to Free Europe.

Nicolae Balint (Forest District Chief): Sir, think of Mata, make an offer to say that “yes, he is worth it.” That anyway, it's an effort, it's a gasoline that … this shoe consumes. I made repairs to this shoe …

Ciprian Șerban: Well, from what it will be, 4%, as I said at the beginning.

Nicolae Balint: It is perfect! Look, I'm giving up, 3%.

Ciprian Șerban: As long as you say [neinteligibil] everyone thanks. That maybe we can see each other again and why to … maybe the year we negotiate otherwise the works from the beginning. – Nicolae Balint: That's another job. Here I am …

Ciprian Șerban: 39 million, right?

Nicolae Balint: Yes, 39

Ciprian Șerban: You have 40.

This is the video recorded video between Nicolae Balint, the head of the Forest District of Răducăneni Forest (Iași) and Ciprian Stefan, businessman and current Minister of Transport. Stefan's company had taken contracts for planting trees at the forest bypass.

It is heard how the money is counted

Free Europe has come into possession in possession of these video and audio recordings in the file. The records are heard how the money is counted, at the end. The publication claims that Șerban has filed the complaint only after he himself was threatened to be denounced because he did not comply with a contract won by an interposed.

In March 2012, Ciprian Șerban presented at the Răducăneni Forest Ocol as a representative of a company that had just won the tender for the annual planting and care works of several tens of hectares of the District. The contract awarded by the Iași Forestry Directorate had a value of over 650,000 lei, and the works had to be completed in 10 months.

The winning company, Eden Star Forest SRL, was run in acts by Claudiu Ioan H., a man from Neamț county. According to Free Europe, the company was de facto controlled by Ciprian Șerban, who also the stamp, and the company card, and the address of the company is still in a home of the former father-in-law of the minister-Mircia Gorghiu, former technical director of Romsilva.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBCVWX8ZRRG

What happened in the file

In the file, three forestryrs were convicted, and from the court decision it appears that between the bait and the representatives of the Forestry District Răducăneni would have existed, since April 2012, an agreement that the forest works would be done “with people from the area”, coordinated by the head of district Nicolae Balint. The invoices – issued after the partial accomplishment of the works – were settled by the company controlled by Ciprian Șerban.

According to the file in justice, Ciprian Șerban promised that he would make cash from the company and give Nicolae Balint, for him to pay the workers. He did that, at least six times.

The works were done with poor people from the Răducăneni area, but often they did not get the money, because they had debts to the village stores – granted on the basis of verbal guarantees made by the owners by the head of district Balint.

Free Europe reports that it has obtained the audio recording of a conversation between Serban and Balint in April 2012, before the beginning of the works, when the current PSD Minister of Transport and the district chief set the details:

Low bribe

Ciprian Șerban complained to DNA in September 2012, five months after the conversation now rendered by Free Europe.

The amount of 3% – reduced from 4% – which was to be applied to the value of the invoices issued after the partial realization of the works – was cataloged by justice as “bribe” received by the representatives of the Răducăneni Forest District, through the district head Nicolae Balint, from Ciprian Șerban.

The money circuit did not comply with the contract concluded by the company controlled by Șerban, which, in theory, had to be the one who performs the works, not to pay clandestine so that they were done by the beneficiary.

The publication reporteris wrote about this case.

HotNews asked for a reaction from the Government on this topic, but until the article was published. I did not receive an answer.