The Minister of Transport sent the Control Body to CNAIR, “after the road company lost at least questionably more than 340 million lei”
The interim Minister of Transport, Radu Miruță, sent the Control Body to the National Road Infrastructure Administration Company (CNAIR), according to the announcement made by Horațiu Cosma, secretary of state in the ministry, who accuses the road company of “losing at least questionably more than 340 million lei in an arbitration on the Sebeș-Turda Highway”.
Horațiu Cosma said that the current director of CNAIR, Cristian Pistol, signed an agreement with the Italian builders in November 2021, so that “the works were received, and the builders were to limit the possible penalties from the arbitration to 150 million lei”.
“However, in the meantime, we have all seen the “quality” of the works received: landslides, closed and reconstructed highway sections, displaced bridges, bumps and a lot of potholes,” added the Secretary of State, in the message posted Thursday evening on Facebook.
He claims that Pistol accepted the works even though they were “poorly executed”, and that “CNAIR employees then refused to accept the works, but their voices were silenced”.
“And the surprise came with the arbitrary sentence: CNAIR must pay not 150 million, as it had signed, but more than 340 million lei. The arbitrator did not take into account the agreement signed by Cristian Pistol, because it would not have respected the legal rigors – it was not legalized nor properly presented in the arbitration. Basically, the Romanians paid twice. Once through the highway that they could not use in the 4 years of delays. And, two, through higher penalties than had been originally established”, continued Horațiu Cosma.
The official stated that last week the Ministry of Transport received from CNAIR “requests for the payment of this arbitration from public money”.
“The Court of Accounts will also be notified”
The Secretary of State for Transport said “this situation cannot be overlooked”.
“The Minister of Transport, Radu Miruță, is sending the Control Body to CNAIR to check the whole situation. The conclusions will be sent urgently to the competent bodies. In addition, the Court of Accounts will also be referred to assess the damage and identify those responsible”, added Horațiu Cosma.
He claims that “serious problems hidden under the rug” are constantly detected in the ministry.
“Every day we open doors in the Ministry of Transport and discover serious problems hidden under the rug”, State Secretary Horațiu Cosma also declared.
