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Energy Ministry has brought a civil action in the Rompetrol case
The Energy Ministry has brought a civil action in the Rompetrol case, as this is one of the Romania's terrible inheritances in the energy area, Energy Minister Victor Grigorescu wrote on his Facebook page on Wednesday evening.
Ministry representatives believe that since the debt to equity swap process related to Rompetrol was corrupted, the ministry's interests were also affected. They argues that it was prevented from becoming a majority shareholder and thus sustained damage, as it didn't receive the potential dividends earned as a majority shareholder and was left unable to make decisions as a majority shareholder in its own interest.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Grigorescu pointed out about the current situation at Rompetrol that this isn't a singular case, adding that "we shall see similar situations and not necessarily in energy."
The Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) on Wednesday summoned for hearings the first persons indicted in this case, namely Sorin Marin, a former partner of late business owner Dinu Patriciu and Rompetrol shareholder; Alexandru Nicolcioiu, KazMunayGas International (former Rompetrol Grup) production director; Adrian Constantin Volintiru, former Authority for State Assets Administration (AVAS) president and former financial director in several companies of the Rompetrol group, such as Rompetrol Rafinare and Rompetrol Downstream.
At teh beginning of the week, prosecutors ordered a lien to the tune of 1,724,168,825 lei, 290,786,616 US dollars and 34,941,924 euros on mobile and immobile assets of KazMunayGaz International NV, Oilfield Exploration Business Solutions SA and Rompetrol Rafinare SA as civilly liable parties.
According to the DIICOT, 14 suspects were indicted for the establishment of an organised crime ring; abuse of office; fraud; embezzlement; tax evasion; money laundering; capital market manipulation by deals or deal orders that give or may give misleading signals as to the demand.