Double commission for the liquidator of Tractorul

The PLD Senator, Nicolae Vlad Popa agreed with the European Commission"s decision to examine the

privatization of Tractorul UTB. The senator was among those who criticised the way in which the company"s assets were sold, as well as their selling price.

"The European Commission will examine the so-called auction and will determine whether a financial

scheme was involved. Then, I will be proved right as far as my latest suppositions are concerned",

alleges senator Popa, who yesterday criticised the fee received by the Transilvania Insolvency House, the company which was in charge of the factory"s liquidation, also stating that the amount received was extremely large, compared to what the company"s mission was.

The senator, who also wants to emphasize the fact that the former Tractorul UTB SA union leader was employed during the first few days of the Transilvania Insolvency House"s arrival in Brasov, declared: "The amount of 3 million EUR, claimed to have been paid in order to draw up a few papers, is enormous. But I found out from sources inside the Transilvania Insolvency House that the fee was in fact double, meaning 6 million EUR. This being public money, it is unacceptable."

The PLD senator claims that Gheorghe Apostu now has 50-60 million ROL of income, which includes compensatory salary. "This is the very reason Mr. Apostu said the privatisation through Flavius Investments SRL is a good deal. An agreement was made between Flavius Investments and Transilvania Insovency House, with AVAS"s approval.", senator Nicolae Vlad Popa further declared, also underlining the fact that SIF, a 17% Tractorul shareholder, did not receive anything following the privatization.

Gheorghe Apostu even denied the allegations regarding his salary. He stated that: "If he thinks that I have a 60 million ROL paycheck, well he"s right: I receive this kind of money over 6 months. I earn 11-12 million ROL a month. 60 million is what Mr. Senator earns at the Senate." In order to support his statement, Apostu is challenging Popa to a discussion with "the paycheck stubs on the table". "I will invite N.V.Popa to a live discussion, on a televised show or a conference, where I will bring my paycheck stubs. Maybe he understood that 60 million is the amount I would like to earn", Gheorghe Apostu also mentions.

Regarding his employment with the Transilvania Insolvency House, the union leader says that he does there what he always did, meaning union administration and the representation of workers in court. "We used to be 110 employees at the insovency company. Then 65 people were transferred to Flavus, and 15 left. I am one of those who stayed. I work 8 hours a day and I do what I always have done. I am responsible of the union"s administration and I have also been chosen to represent the workers in court. I don"t know if what I do here at the Insovency House is of any interest. Doesn"t N.V. Popa know what I do here?" I also don"t know what Mr. Popa did for Tractorul. I guess nothing. If I had gone to Flavus you would have presumed I had been bought. If you really are interested, come and see what I do at work!", Gheorghe Apostu, the current union leader of Tractorul"s former employees, finally added.