The Socialist MPs submitted a simple motion against Minister of Education Corina Fusu following parliamentary hearings on alimentation in education institutions that were held on December 8 until late evening. After the administration of the National Anticorruption Center, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and the National Food Safety Agency presented their reports, the MPs of the opposition criticized the inaction of the bodies responsible for the alimentation of children and accused them of negligence, saying that functionaries concerned shift the responsibility onto each other.

The Socialist MPs said that Minister of Education Corina Fusu bears direct responsibility for the situation created at education institutions as regards alimentation and that in a civilized and democratic state, a functionary of her rank would tender his/her resignation without delay, IPN reports

For her part, Corina Fusu said the Ministry of Education does not sign contacts for the supply of food products to schools and does not deliver these and is thus not involved in this case. She suggested increasing the food norm for a child and allocating financing for repairing the cooking facilities in kindergartens, which date from the Soviet period. In biddings, emphasis should be placed not on the cheapest bids, but on the quality of products, which should be made in Moldova first of all. Also, the salaries of cooks and medical assistants of kindergartens should be raised.

In the hearing, National Anticorruption Center director Viorel Chetraru said that using criminal schemes, the functionaries designated the company that offered the lowest price as winner of the bidding and, afterward, invoking all kinds of reasons, including that the products were of a poor quality, chose the next bidder that formed part of the scheme as a winner. It was also established that the price of the products was raised when the contract was signed even if the bid was lower. Overall, 17 persons were placed under arrest for 20 to 30 days. Three persons are under house arrest, while the rest are in the remand prison. Another six persons, including a functionary and businessmen, are investigated as suspects.

Chetraru also said that the functionaries that implemented the bid rigging schemes were informed by en employee of the National Food Safety Agency about the regular inspections performed at institutions. Dozens of complaints about the quality of food products at kindergartens, mainly from parents, were found at the functionary’s home.

Deputy Minister of Health Aliona Serbulenko said the infected food products cause multiple diseases. Since 2000 until now, the cases of food poisonings have increased in number. This year the figure rose by 50% on last year. The major risk groups in these cases include primarily children aged between 0 and 2 and 3 and 5. The number of such cases among institutionalized children has also increased.

As to the motion, Speaker of Parliament Andrian Candu said this was signed by at least 15 MPs, as the law requires. The Standing Bureau will convene on December 9 to decide when the motion will be examined. A number of proposals will be formulated following these hearings in the December 9 sitting of the legislature. They will also consider constituting a parliamentary commission on this case.