Metalferos company has signed two contracts with international companies in the field, announces the institution in two press releases. This is the first time Metalferos concludes a contract for the sale of metal waste with a large Turkish company and another company in Austria.

Several months ago the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office carried out 48 searches at Metalferos and other interposed companies, detaining seven people. The discharges took place in a criminal case, due to the alleged illicit actions of the decision-makers within Metalferos and several other affiliated companies during the period 2015 – 2019.

Metalferos, a joint-stock company in which the majority shareholding belongs to the state, through the Public Property Agency (78 percent), and which has been involved in several criminal charges, signed two contracts with two foreign investors. 

On January 18, 2020, Metalferos signed the first contract with SAHINLER METAL SANAYI VE TIC. A.S, a Turkish company, after meeting with its representatives. 

The other contract was signed on January 22, 2020, with the partners from Austria, Mast Metall Handels GmbH company. 

“This will bring major financial benefits for the company,” Metalferos stated in a press statement.

Most recently, in December 2019, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office carried out 48 searches at Metalferos and other interposed companies. As a result, seven people were detained.  The discharges took place in a criminal case, due to the alleged illicit actions of the decision-makers within Metalferos and several other affiliated companies during the period 2015 – 2019.

Prosecutors established that Metalferos was doing business with intermediary companies, which took over a large part in the company’s profit.

The searches took place both within the companies concerned, as well as at the homes of the suspects, including, at the former general director of the Metalferos, Alexei Țrimbrovschi.

As a result of the criminal investigation computers, stamps, seals, documents, which are important for the criminal case, were found and collected.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the persons involved have elaborated and implemented a scheme based on the purchase and sale of ferrous and non-ferrous metal waste, by means of fictitious intermediation activities.  

The criminal group falsified the documents for purchasing and delivering ferrous and non-ferrous metals, artificially increasing the purchase price and artificially decreasing the sale price to intermediaries, as to collect the difference. 

According to the investigations in between September 2015 and September 2019, Metalferos received through the bank accounts held in one of Moldova’s banks, financial means worth over €110.8 million(2.1 billion lei) from another company. 

Subsequently, from this amount, payments related to the stock of metals purchased from intermediary companies, which are also affiliated, were transferred at an artificially increased price. 

The price difference was appropriated and distributed among the members of the criminal group, and the rest being transmitted to the metal collectors according to the market price. At this stage, the amount of the damage calculated is over €10.9 million (215 million lei).

Also, in the criminal prosecution, the legality of the export procedure of the collected metals is examined.

According to the materials of the criminal case, the members of the organized criminal group ensured the delivery of the goods directly to the collectors specialized in ferrous and non-ferrous metals from Turkey, Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands, in the absence of an economic justification.

They aslo, organized the signing of fictitious intermediation contracts between Metalferos and non-resident companies (for example, Metoil Trading LLP, Metoil Trading FZE, Vellonton LLP, Megatex LTD and Rombat SA), under which the latter had the role of procuring fictitious ferrous and non-ferrous metals from Metalferos at a reduced price, and then they were selling the metal at prices already increased on the Turkish, German, Austrian and Dutch markets.

The price difference, which, in the absence of such contracts, was to be collected by Metalferos, was transferred, mainly, to Rowallan Overseas, Steel Marketing and Innotube companies whose beneficiaries are to be established in criminal prosecution.

The amount of the damage calculated at this stage, as a result of the export operations, constitutes about €6.7 million (133 million lei).

Victor MOŞNEAG, v.mosneag.zdg@gmail.com