The European Union Prosecutor’s Office and DNA are investigating a sales contract concluded by the Romanian police with Automobile Bavaria for the purchase of 600 BMW vehicles, Europa Liberă reports.

Klaus Johannis and Michael Schmidt, director of Automobile Bavaria Photo: AGERPRES

Romanian police said in an official response to the quoted source that it had “provided all relevant documents regarding this purchase to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office” and that the cars had not yet been received.

The contract is worth 98 million lei, which is almost 20 million euros, and according to the mandate, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, headed by Laura Codrucci Kovesi, can investigate purchases from European funds if they exceed 10 thousand euros.

And the National Anti-corruption Authority (DNA) is reviewing the 2021 procurement of Police, a procurement process for which only one bidder appeared after a failed first phase.

Judicial sources told Europa Libera that the DNA initiated a criminal case last fall after self-reporting. The same sources also reported that the case is already at the stage of proper investigation, that is, there are no suspects.

Drula: The police could pay for the cars from the state budget

Yesterday, the president of USR, Cătălin Drula, pointed out in an interview with one2one, Europa Liberă, that the police could have paid for the cars with money from the national budget, not from European funds, in order to avoid possible checks by the Forums of the European Union.

Last September, Free Europe and g4media.ro reported that the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police (IGPR) was buying 600 BMWs from Automobile Bavaria SRL, a company run by Michael Schmidt, a friend of President Klaus Iohannis. The Europol trade union accused a special tender.

President Klaus Iohannis has said that his friendship with businessman Michael Schmidt was not important in winning the tender held by the Romanian police to buy BMW cars, and stressed that if there are doubts about the legality of the procedure, there are enough competent people. authorities to inspections.

“Now I can say about friendship with me that it definitely did not matter, and my information about this procedure is only what appeared in open sources, that is, in the mass media. But I can tell you one thing very clearly, if there are suspicions, we have enough competent authorities to check these things. And if possible, I expect these authorities to check everything for blood. From my point of view, it is unacceptable that my name and my position should be involved in a case that can be technically verified. I think it is obvious to everyone that I personally have nothing to do with this purchase, but if there are, again, if there are suspicions, then I expect clarifications, and very quickly,” said the head of state.

Automobile Bavaria later said that Michael Schmidt, the company’s founder and close to President Iohannis, “no longer holds any position and is no longer involved in activities in Romania.”

Romanian police say they ended up buying “a minimum of 300 and a maximum of 600 BMWs” from a company run by a friend of President Iohannis on the grounds that only one distributor appeared at the auction, even though four manufacturers were eligible. requirements, Mercedes, Jaguar and Alfa Romeo.

The cited source claims that the start of the procedures for creating technical conditions dates back to 2018, and they are “aligned with European standards.”

Police also say a framework agreement has been signed for a minimum of 300 and a maximum of 600 BMW 3 Series, 4×4 vehicles at a price of just €32,000 per unit excluding VAT, plus €32,000. includes special equipment for police work, worth about 4,000 euros, respectively, a ramp, a seat post, an additional battery, as well as a set of winter tires.

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