Upload
gwen-brown
View
215
Download
0
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
ROMÂNIA
Bd. Ferdinand 125,
sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396
Telefon:+4021 253 28
38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63
Mobil:+40740 089
253
“Dosare de Achiziții”A Watchdog on Public Procurement Files
ROMÂNIABd. Ferdinand 125,sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396
Telefon:+4021 253
28 38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63Mobil:
+40740 089 253
Fighting Public Procurement Criminality.An Operational Approach
has been developed in response to Romanian law enforcement authorities’ need to tackle corruption in public procurement by implementing EU directives andrecommendations in the field, as well as dealing with specific issues raised by recent MCV Reports.
ROMÂNIABd. Ferdinand 125,sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396
Telefon:+4021 253
28 38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63Mobil:
+40740 089 253
The 2014 Report on Progress in Romania under the Co-operation and Verification Mechanism:
Several NGOs, business and independent experts have reported the continuous vulnerability of public procurement procedures to corruption.
Whilst this is not a problem unique to Romania, there is also a question of administrative capacity to handle the procedures, in particular at local level, which calls for particular attention, notably from the prevention side.
ROMÂNIABd. Ferdinand 125,sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396
Telefon:+4021 253
28 38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63Mobil:
+40740 089 253
A joint effort of a consortium made up of 17 partners, ranging from the Ministry of Justice and the Anticorruption Directorate to the Integrity Agency, the Association of Specialists in Procurement, Expert Forum or the National Council for Solving Complaints.
ROMÂNIABd. Ferdinand 125,sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396
Telefon:+4021 253
28 38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63Mobil:
+40740 089 253
Ten out of fourteen seminars already organized
244 trained participants: judges, prosecutors and judicial and antifraud police officers
The interest in public procurement issues has increased.
Due to corruption or integrity scandals related to high levelofficials involved in awarding PP contracts.
ROMÂNIABd. Ferdinand 125,sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396
Telefon:+4021 253
28 38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63Mobil:
+40740 089 253
Landmark ruling of the High Court of Cassation andJustice
- Constantin Nicolescu, the president of Arges County Council, was found in conflict of interest and lost his mandate- 14 contracts awarded by the county council to companies owned by hiswife
ROMÂNIABd. Ferdinand 125,sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396
Telefon:+4021 253
28 38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63Mobil:
+40740 089 253
The Platform
Decision to extend Project’s communication from a target group mainly comprised of magistrates and experts to the general public.
Agreement of the DG Home Affairs for this additional activity.
ROMÂNIABd. Ferdinand 125,sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396
Telefon:+4021 253
28 38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63Mobil:
+40740 089 253
Online Platform “Public Procurement Files”
• keeping an eye on the on-going trials
• acting as a watchdog on public procurement procedures
• raising the awareness on PP-related issues
ROMÂNIABd. Ferdinand 125,sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396
Telefon:+4021 253
28 38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63Mobil:
+40740 089 253
Partnership with HotNews.rothrough project’s visibility partner – EurActiv.ro
• 1.5 million unique visitors per month• the initial draft of “PP Files” - inspired by an initiative of
HotNews.ro – “Corruption Files”.
We used HotNews’ methodology Continuously monitoring the evolution of some well-know PP-related trials, by giving information about:• indictment,• stage of the trial,• previous rulings,• next court appearance
ROMÂNIABd. Ferdinand 125,sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396
Telefon:+4021 253
28 38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63Mobil:
+40740 089 253
We constantly monitor 17 files in the courts, the „eldest” case having already 2.447 days since the arraignment.
While ”Corruption files” section focused mostly on the corruption trials in order to avoid the cover-ups, “PP Files” section added two new actvities.
• First component added: monitoring the on-going Public Procurement process through SEAP - Romanian Electronic Public Procurement System.
• Second component: a special focus on controversial procedures and contracts prompted by the corruption scandal of the day
ROMÂNIABd. Ferdinand 125,sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396
Telefon:+4021 253
28 38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63Mobil:
+40740 089 253
Examples
Monitoring Relevant PP Tenders and Awarded Contracts through SEAP
All the contracts awarded in November 2013 by CNADNR - the Romanian Highways and National Roads Company – amounting to more than 300 million Euros
ROMÂNIABd. Ferdinand 125,sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396
Telefon:+4021 253
28 38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63Mobil:
+40740 089 253
Examples
Special Focus on the Controversial
We want to capitalize on the attention of the public to the latest corruption scandals.
We give a larger perspective of the activity and connections of people involved.
In the days following a major news outbreak related to corruption or conflict of interests, such as the start of an investigation on corruption charges against a high level official, a research of all the contracts awarded during his last mandate is being made and published.
ROMÂNIABd. Ferdinand 125,sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396
Telefon:+4021 253
28 38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63Mobil:
+40740 089 253
Three such in-depth journalistic investigations on PP contracts have been published, following Anti-corruption Directorate action against local elected officials
1. All the contracts awarded by Mehedinți County Council; the president of the council, Adrian Duicu, is in custody, investigated for corruption.
ROMÂNIA
Bd. Ferdinand 125,
sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396
Telefon:+4021 253 28
38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63
Mobil:+40740 089
253
2. All the contracts awarded between 2012-2014 by Constanța County Council; the city mayor, Radu Mazăre, and the president of the council, Nicușor Constantinescu, are under DNA investigation.
ROMÂNIA
Bd. Ferdinand 125,
sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396
Telefon:+4021 253 28
38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63
Mobil:+40740 089
253
3. All the contracts awarded between 2008-2012 by Dâmbovița County Council, during the mandate of its former president, Florin Popescu, currently under investigation for corruption.
ROMÂNIABd. Ferdinand 125,sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396
Telefon:+4021 253
28 38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63Mobil:
+40740 089 253
The Team
Three leading investigative Romanian journalists, coordinated by Dan Tăpălagă (editor with HotNews.ro)• input given by speakers in the project (public procurement
experts, anti-corruption prosecutors, high level officials dealing with public procurement issues)
• important insights into public procurement mechanisms, legal loopholes, for a better understanding of the process and of its vulnerabilities.
ROMÂNIABd. Ferdinand 125,sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396
Telefon:+4021 253
28 38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63Mobil:
+40740 089 253
AchievementsJust two months of activity
After „PP Files” section signalled an apparently illegal, restrictive qualification requirement in a tender documentation forE-books, the Education Ministry had to almost tenfold decrease the required annual turnover.
ROMÂNIABd. Ferdinand 125,sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396
Telefon:+4021 253
28 38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63Mobil:
+40740 089 253
The Future of the PlatformEarly warning
Ministry of Education’s repealment of an unreasonable and illegal requirement is the kind of successful precedent that could lay the foundation for a functional monitoring system.
We see the future of the platform in multiplying this example.
If public procurement, tenders and contracts are continuously monitored by professional journalists and civil society, there are more chances to discover on time such “errors”, avoiding them to bear theirnegative effects - low quality of works, services or goods purchased by the authorities and institutions, dedicated tenders, distorted competition.
ROMÂNIABd. Ferdinand 125,sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396
Telefon:+4021 253
28 38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63Mobil:
+40740 089 253
Constrains, Challanges to be Met
• Local capture
• Journalists under pressure in captured counties, censorship,
ROMÂNIA
Bd. Ferdinand 125,
sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396
Telefon:+4021 253 28
38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63
Mobil:+40740 089
253
Censorship of an article exposing a controversial public procurement
ROMÂNIA
Bd. Ferdinand 125,
sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396
Telefon:+4021 253 28
38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63
Mobil:+40740 089
253
ROMÂNIA
Bd. Ferdinand 125,sector 2 BucurestiRomania 021396Telefon:+4021 253
28 38Fax:
+4021 253 00 63Mobil:
+40740 089 253 THANK YOU!