The contract for the border security integrated system signed in 2004 by Romania's Interior Ministry with European group EADS Deutschland was closed based on “hidden deals” tied to subcontractors.

Persons from the management of the Interior Ministry and even Romania’s prime minister at that time, Adrian Nastase, allegedly received bribes for this contract, according to judicial sources, quoted by Mediafax.

The contract, which had a total value of EUR 734 million, is now under investigation by prosecutors from the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA).

According to judicial sources, EADS was assigned this contract by means of direct negotiation with just one bidder, after a brief feasibility study that consultancy firm Bearing Point delivered in just two days after it was contracted. Bearing Point received EUR 430,000 for this study.

The investigators also determined that representatives of Romania’s Interior Ministry and those of EADS agreed that they would use certain subcontractors, which were required to pay fees to some agreed companies.

These fees were actually cover up for the bribes those subcontractors paid to the Government’s officials. Among the companies investigated in this case are Fujitsu Siemens Computers, UTI and Felix Telecom.

editor@romania-insider.com