This amount accounts for one quarter of the EUR1.7 billion that the institution spent on roads and highways last year. In other words, CNADNR paid EUR400 million for the works performed by the two companies, which included upgrades, rehabilitation, multi-annual maintenance of roads and 14 kilometers of the Moara Vlasiei-Ploiesti highway (south of the country) built by Spedition UMB. Taking into account an average cost of EUR7 million per kilometer of highway, this money could have been used to build 57 kilometers of highway. Umbrarescu got the most money from CNADNR, EUR290 million.
Nelu Iordache, who controls Romstrade, collected almost EUR110 million for rehabilitation, upgrades, multi-annual maintenance and snow removal works, which makes it the second highest paid Romanian company last year.
Other important entrepreneurs such as Dan Besciu and Sorin Vulpescu (Euro Construct Trading 98) and Alexandru and Traian Horpos (Straco Grup) were paid significant amounts of money by CNADNR, as were Italian and Austrian companies and US Bechtel.
According to information sent by CNADNR as requested by ZF, Bechtel got EUR130 million last year, even though the contract was renegotiated and it did not do any significant construction work on the Transilvania highway.
(English version by Loredana Frățilă-Cristescu)