Corruption suspected in Ropaži municipality road contracts

The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) has handed over its investigation to the prosecutor's office requesting a criminal trial in a case involving representatives of a road construction company being allegedly involved in systematic bribery of officials of the municipality of Ropaži region. The purpose of the alleged bribery was to achieve favorable decisions for the company in the procurements announced by the municipality, according to KNAB.

KNAB's investigation obtained evidence that the company's representatives systematically bribed several municipal officials in order to obtain privileged information about planned purchases.

After obtaining the information, the representatives of the company involved another person and bribed the members of the procurement commission. As a result, a victory was achieved in the procurements announced by the municipality of Ropaži district, in a contract worth more than 680,000 euros, KNAB believes.

KNAB started probing the case on October 24, 2022 for bribery, offering a bribe, accepting a bribe, inciting bribery and disclosing undisclosed information. This week, on February 26, KNAB sent the criminal case materials to the Prosecutor's Office for the investigation of criminal offenses in the service of state institutions.

The case involves 4 public officials, 2 company representatives and 1 other person.

Now it is up to the prosecutor's office to decide whether to take the case to trial.

KNAB stated that the investigated criminal process is extensive and complex, as the persons involved may have committed several criminal offenses over a long period of time.

In one of the criminal proceedings, which was issued by KNAB on March 28 last year and in which criminal prosecution was initiated on November 27, the prosecutor's office has already filed an indictment.

The LTV program "De facto" has reported that in connection with the KNAB investigation, the Ropaži District Council removed three members from the Procurement Commission. However, the range of municipal employees involved in the case was wider – the deputy executive director and the road engineer were also searched. Most likely, the interest of KNAB investigators has been aroused by the Garkalne company "Gludi LM", which has regularly won municipal procurements for the repair of asphalt potholes, De facto suggested.

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