What comes after the audit at Moldovagaz? Expert opinions
Moldovagaz's unjustified expenses were made at the expense of consumers, according to experts. The Government will demand more than 3.3 billion lei following the Court of Auditors' audit of Moldovagaz for the period 2011-2021.
In 2011-2021, Moldovagaz S.A. made non-transparent, unproductive, economically unjustified investments and expenses, which increased its debts to the Russian Gazprom Company, according to the recent report by the Court of Accounts.
Overall, the unjustified investments made by Moldovagaz and not accepted by the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) for tariff purposes amount to 815.8 million lei. Approximately half a million lei of this money was used for the construction of Moldovagaz' headquarters and an administrative building in Ungheni. About 140 million lei have also been allocated for the creation of international software.
The company's unjustified expenses include the hiring of advisers to the president and vice-president of the company and the hiring of a legal company for 9 million lei, even though Moldovagaz has about 40 lawyers. The court is yet to rule on the situation at Moldovagaz, energy expert Sergiu Ungureanu told Radio Moldova.
"A claim for recalculation of these debts and the tariffs that were included in the cost of gas must follow because this money was paid and is currently paid from the account of gas that is delivered to consumers. Clearly, it will claim a certain debt that Moldovagaz will most likely not be able to pay and then it will follow the procedure of liquidation or of taking over some assets to cover this debt that will somehow go to the state account. But here we have to see to which state institution's account", explained Sergiu Ungureanu.
If a lawsuit is initiated against Moldovagaz, it could be long, Promolex expert Vadim Vieru told Radio Moldova.
"The average duration of a court case is about 15-16 months. In this case, it depends very much on the evidence to be administered and the claims to be presented in court by the parties to the case. It will take a year, but once the case is complex, half a year is optimistic. Plus don't forget that we don't have a Supreme Court at the moment," Vadim Vieru remarked.
Following the Parliament's consideration of the Court of Accounts report on Moldovagaz's activity for the period 2011-2021, the Government will start the procedure of inventorying the assets and awarding 3.36 billion lei from the company.
Moldovagaz's current chairman, Vadim Ceban, told the hearings that decisions on allocating additional funds for the construction of the company's headquarters were taken by the company's shareholders. According to him, in September 2019, law enforcement bodies were referred to elucidate the circumstances, but there is no finality on this file.
