Former Water Basin Director Accused of Orchestrating 1.17 Million Lei Procurement Fraud Scheme

A former director of the Crișuri Water Basin Administration (ABA Crișuri) faces charges from the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) for allegedly masterminding a fraud scheme that inflated prices for public procurement. Prosecutors estimate the financial prejudice to exceed 1.17 million lei. The DNA has also indicted a head of the Financial Accounting Service within ABA Crișuri for complicity in the scheme. An internal auditor from the same institution has pleaded guilty and reached an agreement with prosecutors. According to the indictment, the former director, Dume Dorel Marcel, devised and implemented a mechanism where public institutions under his purview purchased goods and services at inflated prices from four intermediary companies. These firms were allegedly controlled by Dume and managed by the indicted head of accounting, Anichitoaie Valerică. The intermediary companies initially acquired products and services from suppliers at low costs before reselling them to the National Administration "Romanian Waters" (ANAR) and ABA Crișuri at substantially higher prices. The price differences were reportedly channeled back to Dume, primarily through cash withdrawals from ATMs by accomplices or himself. The fraudulent mechanism operated between December 20, 2017, and May 18, 2022. Prosecutors claim Dume directed or influenced officials at ABA Crișuri to approve payments for invoices from these four companies, despite knowing the prices were excessive. The scheme involved specific roles: the auditor, Privantu Dorin Marian, identified suppliers offering lower prices at Dume's request. Dume then transmitted lists and needs assessments, already signed, to Anichitoaie and another witness, detailing products, codes, quantities, and prices. These documents were used to submit offers from the four intermediary companies onto the SEAP platform.