Victor Cucu, the administrator of Diazchim company, one of the companies accused of cartel agreements and fined 4.5 million dollars by the COmpetition Council, stated that they never participated in cartel agreements and that the allegations are completely unfounded. He said that the evidence submitted by them was ignored by the Competition Council and that the president of the Competition Council, Marcel Răducan, is in conflict of interest.

”Marcel Răducan, president of the Competition Council, along with members of his family, owns a company that deals with the import and sale of fertilizers, Moldprodinvest. This company still has a license and the Răducan’s actions seriously violate the conflict of interest state. The Diazchim company notified the National Integrity Authority in order to verify the violations committed by the President of the Competition Council. The representatives of Diazchim company were not allowed to participate in hearings. We qualify the actions as completely unfounded. The purpose of the Council was not to conduct a proper investigation. We ask the courts to carry out a correct investigation”, said Victor Cucu, the Diazchim company administrator.

The Competition Council applied the highest possible fine of 4.5 million euros to four enterprises for cartel agreements. The companies set prices for fertilizers that produced damages amounting to 9.5 million euros. One of the companies, SRL Bioprotect, specialized in providing services for farmers, belongs to former Prime Minister Valeriu Streleț. The Competition Council found that similar fertilizers sold in Romania and Ukraine are approximately 28-43% lower compared to Moldova.

A Former Prime Minister’s Company Fined for Cartel Agreement