A former deputy was sent to court for abuse of office. He received high-end phones for a contract, prosecutors allege
A former deputy of Mehedinţi in the 2020-2024 legislature, passed through three parties – PSD, AUR and PNL, currently director of the Craiova Regional Directorate of Roads and Bridges, was sent to court in a state of freedom by the anti-corruption prosecutors, for abuse of office, reports News.ro.
Cornel-Vasile Folescu is accused that, as general director of a company, he would have concluded contracts for the provision of telephone and mobile data services, together with his deputy. According to the prosecutors, through these contracts additional services and electronic goods were purchased with payment in installments, which were not necessary, thus the company was damaged by more than 1.3 million lei.
DNA prosecutors from Alba-Iulia have ordered the sent to court, in a state of freedom, of Cornel-Vasile Folescu, at the time of the act general director at SC SECOM SA and currently director of project implementation within the Regional Directorate of Roads and Bridges Craiova, for continuous abuse of office (three material acts) and of Adrian Bidilici, at the date of the act deputy general director of the same company and executive director of the General Directorate of Social Assistance and Protection Copilului Mehedinţi, and currently executive director of the Mehedinţi County Employment Agency, for two offenses of abuse of office.
Unnecessary contracts for telephony
In the indictment of the prosecutors, it is stated that, between June and December 2020, the two defendants would have illegally made several sectoral purchases, materialized in the conclusion of several contracts for the provision of telephone and mobile data services.
“On the basis of these contracts, additional voice and mobile data services, as well as electronic goods with payment in installments, would have been purchased, at the same time the value of the existing subscriptions was significantly increased, although these steps were not justified by the real communication needs of the company's employees. These actions would have caused damage to the company in the total amount of 1,371,669.1 lei. Through this mechanism, the two defendants would have sought to obtain benefits improper materials, consisting of last-generation mobile phones and other electronic products, in total value of 415,930.23 lei,” the investigators state.
According to the quoted source, the respective electronic products were appropriated by the two and used “discretionarily”, without being handed over to the institution and without being registered in the company's accounting and patrimony as inventory items or fixed assets.
164 mobile phone and data subscriptions, concluded with the profile operators, would not have been distributed to any employee of the company and would not have been used for professional purposes. The respective subscriptions would not have registered any voice or mobile data traffic during the entire analyzed period, although the related costs would have been fully borne from the company's budget.
Total damage of 2.5 million lei
Between January 25, 2021 and October 31, 2023, Adrian Bidilici, as executive director of the General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection Mehedinţi, in violation of the legal provisions, would have made public purchases materialized in the conclusion of several contracts for the provision of telephony and mobile data services that would have generated unreasonably high costs in relation to the real needs of the public institution.
“For these acquisitions, there would have been no supporting documents showing their necessity and opportunity, thus causing damage to the institution in the amount of 1,252,712.24 lei. Through these actions, the defendant would have sought to obtain improper material benefits, consisting of latest generation mobile phones and other electronic products, in the total amount of 437,834.18 lei”, notes the prosecutors.
According to the DNA, SC SECOM constituted a civil party against the defendants for the material damage caused, respectively against Cornel Folescu with the amount of 1,371,669.1 lei and against Adrian Bidilici with the amount of 1,155,397.28 lei, to which are added the legal accessories.
Also, DGASPC Mehedinţi became a civil party in the case against Adrian Bidilici, with the amount of 1,252,712.24 lei, representing the material damage caused.
The criminal investigation file was sent for trial to the Mehedinţi Court, with the proposal to maintain the preventive measures ordered in the case.
