“In this case we have worked with anticorruption authorities, who supplied leads on the possible involvement of another six companies in auction rigging, aside from the 17 companies we suspected initially,” said Bogdan Chiritoiu, president of the Competition Council.
The six companies suspected of auction rigging are Petroconst, Armax Gaz (ARAX.RO), Insta Grup, Zappa Electric, Industrial Montaj and Spoting.
The overall value of the three contracts concluded by Transgaz (TGN.RO) and Romgaz with the companies currently investigated reaches some 30 million lei (EUR6.89 million).
During the investigation, competition authorities performed unannounced inspections at Inspet, Condmag (COMI.RO), Rominsta, Cis Gaz, Moldocor, Armax Gaz, Insta Grup, Zappa Electric, Industrial Montaj and Spoting.
Competition authorities initiated in September an investigation on a potential agreement between 17 companies to attend Romgaz and Transgaz auctions with rigged individual and associated bids.