Blogger: Spinu Knew Back in April Who Was Going to Rent Premises at the Airport

Blogger Eugen Luchianiuc published a letter claiming that the auction announced in January was rigged because the beneficiary had been known long before. Moreover, the document reveals that Minister Spinu is telling untruths about never having communicated with Lagardere representatives about the intention to take control of trading at the airport. “This is a letter dated 4 April, registered on 6 April with the government and the airport. The company refers to ‘discussions held so far’, which proves that Spinu’s scheme actually started earlier than April. Retailer Hexagon thanks executives (read Spinu) for their willingness to allow it to expand in Moldova. This happened after the state took back control of the airport on 27 March 2023 and came out to the public to tell them what a feat they had accomplished,” the blogger notes. In addition, he draws attention to another “coincidence”, namely the registration of the eponymous LLC in November, even before it became known about the start of the auction. “A few months later, on 9 November 2023, another ‘coincidence’ follows. Lagardere Travel Retail LLC appears in a dormitory on Eugen Coca Street in the Buiucani district of the capital, while Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spinu announces the authorities’ intention to concession commercial premises at the airport. However, the main ‘coincidence’ happened on 18 January 2024, when the Public Property Agency announced an auction, and the conditions in the specification perfectly corresponded to the technical and financial parameters of Lagardere Travel Retail”, writes Eugen Luchianiuc. In this regard, he wonders whether the government has also received letters from other companies offering cooperation. “We also want to know if the chair of the parliamentary commission for national security, defense and public order is concerned about the fact that the National Anticorruption Directorate in Romania is investigating how Lagardere Travel Retail won a similar tender at Otopeni airport. However, Lilian Carp said one truth, namely that the process of transferring commercial space at the airport should be done transparently. However, so far it is shrouded in mystery,” notes Luchianiuc. After the publication of this article, Infrastructure Minister Andrei Spinu said that he was not working in the government and did not hold the post of minister at the time of receiving the letter.