Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan believes, regarding the criminal complaint that the Minister of Economy announced that he made regarding the Romarm company, that Radu Miruţă had “sufficient clear elements at the moment that triggered such notification”.
Bolojan: there must be liability if the law was broken. PHOTO Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea
The Prime Minister was questioned, on Friday, at the one2one interviews from Europa Liberă, in connection with the scandal that broke out at the National Company ROMARM SA, after the Minister of Economy announced that the selections for the Board of Directors and for the position of director are contested for possible violations of the law.
“I don’t have all the data, but it means something there was wrong, including the way these selections were made is wrong. There has to be accountability for that, if indeed the law was broken“, said Ilie Bolojan.
In the same show, the Prime Minister stated that “we have almost 50 companies, still, in which management appointments according to transparency and professionalism are not respected.
“Troubled companies must be liquidated. The list will be finalized next week. The problem is fundamental: we have a good part of assets managed by state companies. If hydropower is managed well, then the country has energy resources. The country’s income depends on the way the country is administered”, said the prime minister.
Radu Miruță notified the Prosecutor’s Office, DNA and AMEPIP
We remind you that the Minister of Economy announced, on October 12, that the selections for the Romarm Board of Directors were carried out in violation of the law, which is why the Prosecutor’s Office, as well as DNA and AMEPIP, were notified.
“After sthe complaints we received regarding the management of ROMARMwe sent the Control Body, which did a control activity that ended last night (Tuesday evening no). The control activity says, with subject and predicate, that the way in which the selection for the Board of Directors and for the director was carried out was in violation of the law and was not completed as the law says. (…)
Therefore, absolutely all the criteria for the appointment of ROMARM’s management were this morning sent to the Prosecutor’s Office, as well as the management of the Administrative Council to the Prosecutor’s Office, to DNA and to AMEPIP. The expectation is that these things will be clarified by DNA and AMEPIP in the fastest possible way”Miruta announced.
According to him, the report of the Control Body shows that the appointments were made with a clear destination, and the selection documents submitted by the current director of ROMARM “they could not be proved”.
Romarm, the main manufacturer and direct exporter of military products from Romania
Romarm is the main producer and direct exporter of military products from Romania, being a constant presence in over 50 markets, in countries from Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Africa, according to public information.
The company was established in 2000 through the merger of the most important factories of the Romanian Defense Industry.
Romarm is the main supplier of military equipment, ammunition and maintenance services in Romania. The company has 100% Romanian capital, according to the Romarm website, and is under the authority of the Ministry of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism.
The company has 16 subsidiaries:
- SC TOHAN SA
- SC CARFIL SA
- SC Uzina Mecanică Cugir SA
- SC Uzina Mecanică Bucharest SA
- SC Uzina Mecanică Sadu SA
- SC Arsenal Resita SA
- SC Uzina Mecanică Plopeni SA
- SC Pirochim Victoria SA
- SC METROM SA
- SC Uzina de Produkte Speciale Făgăraş SA
- SC Uzina Mecanică Mija SA
- SC Uzina Automecanică Moreni SA
- SC Uzina de Produkte Special Dragomireşti SA
- SC Electromecanica Ploiesti SA
- SC Fabrica de Arme Cugir SA
- SC Fabrica de Pulberi Făgăraş SA
Some of these companies are profitable, such as the Dragomirești Special Products Plant. Others, such as Societatea Fabrica de Arme Cugir, have losses and decreasing turnover in 2024, compared to 2023, according to termene.ro.
In September, the Government and the Ministry of Finance announced that Romania receives 16.68 billion euros from the European Commission (the second largest amount distributed to a member state, after Poland), through the new financial instrument “Action for the Security of Europe” (SAFE).
We remind you that ROMARM sent, on Wednesday, a statement in which it claims that the appointments were made legally and draws attention to the impact of this scandal in the negotiations with international partners.
Romarm: “All selection procedures were carried out transparently”
“CN ROMARM SA reaffirms the transparency of the selection processes and condemns the media attacks affecting the national defense industry”, the company said in a press release.
The company reports that “is in full negotiation process with prestigious international partners, aiming at strengthening production capacities and developing strategic partnerships that will contribute to the modernization and competitiveness of the national defense industry.”
About the appointments, Romarm specifies that “were carried out transparently, fairly and according to the legislation in force”. The recruitment process was carried out through private companies specialized in the selection of professional management, to ensure the independence, transparency and objectivity of the decision.
“All the selection procedures regarding the General Director, the Economic Director and the members of the Board of Directors were carried out transparently, fairly and in accordance with the legislation in force, in the spirit of GEO No. 109/2011 and the European Directives on corporate governance.
The recruitment process was carried out through private companies specialized in the selection of professional management with a joint venture created between a firm specialized in corporate governance and a firm with over 800 successful recruitments at top management level, both of which are internationally recognized for the Directorate and another firm with extensive experience in the field for the recruitment of CA members, thus guaranteeing the independence, transparency and objectivity of the decision“, adds Romarm.
The company also stresses that political statements must not affect the company’s defense industry goals or modernization process.
“Furthermore, ROMARM has the full openness to present to public and control institutions, the public and the media, within the legally permitted limits, all the procedures and documents related to the appointment processes, in the spirit of transparency and respect for taxpayers and business partners. Any interested person can request access to this information, within the legal limits and confidentiality imposed by international partnerships.”
“Such actions destabilize collaborative processes”
That’s why Romarm “draws attention to the fact that unfounded or tendentious media interventions, which affect the image of the companies within the ROMARM group, may have direct consequences on the ongoing negotiations.”
“Such actions destabilize collaborative processes, can alter the balance of international negotiations, and weaken the strategic position of the company and the national defense industry.”
Romarm believes that the repeated attacks on the management and the companies in the ROMARM portfolio can affect both the image and the economic prospects of the company.
“Currently, the Board of Directors of CN ROMARM SA is working intensively on the development of strategic partnerships with first-rate international actors.
These collaborations are essential for the future of the Romanian defense industry, and maintaining a stable, balanced and trust-based public climate is a fundamental condition for the opening of new business lines and foreign investments”. end the company.
