Romania’s National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) has decided to prosecute American IT company HP for illegally cashing in almost EUR 17 million in a contract with the state. The company is charged with complicity to abuse of office.

The prosecutors have also prosecuted Vasile Ciurchea and Irinel Popescu, former presidents of the National Health Insurance House (CNAS), as well as current CNAS directors. The officials are charged with abuse of office.

Between 2007 and 2009, CNAS acquired from HP overpriced technical assistance and on-site training services for the Integrated Information System (SIUI), which had also been provided by HP. The CNAS officials are charged with abuse of office for not running a public tender to purchase these services and for not assessing the institution’s real needs.

Meanwhile, HP is investigated for charging unjustifiably high prices for its services. HP allegedly charged CNAS up to EUR 800 for a person’s day work, according to DNA.

This is the second big corruption case related to overpriced IT service purchases by state institutions.

Romanian court rules jail sentences for businessmen and politicians involved in Microsoft licenses case.

Romania Insider

24 May 2016