“Such an approach is unacceptable. If tomorrow Lukoil decides not to resume production, I call on the Romanian Government to be prepared to take over the refinery in Ploiesti,” Basescu said Thursday.
The president also said Lukoil must decide either to observe Romanian law or leave the Romanian market altogether, adding pressuring authorities in unacceptable in a EU country.
Basescu said the government should be prepared to pay back the price for which it sold the refinery and be technically prepared to operate it.
Vladimir Nekrasov, Lukoil’s First Vice-President in charge of refining, marketing and distribution, said Wednesday after meetings with persecutors and government officials that the Russian group would decide Friday whether or not it will shut down the Petrotel-Lukoil refinery.
“It would be a pity to have to shut down the refinery. We’ve invested a lot of money here,” Nekrasov said, adding a deal had been reached with the prosecution office. He did not give further details.
Investigators raided the Russian-held Lukoil’s offices in Ploiesti last week on suspicions of defrauding the state of EUR230 million through tax evasion and money laundering. The refinery’s general manager, Andrey Bogdanov, has been placed under judicial control and is under criminal investigation on suspicions of tax evasion and money laundering. Romanian authorities also impounded Lukoil’s crude oil stocks.