VZCZCXRO1579
OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHBM #1797/01 3331603
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 291603Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5645
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BUCHAREST 001797 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/NCE - MPEKALA; L/EUR - POLSON; CA/OCS/ACS/EUR 
- SSCHMIERER 
STATE PASS TREASURY FOR LUKAS KOHLER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2016 
TAGS: ENRG PGOV KCOR CACS ECON PREL RO
SUBJECT: ROMANIA - ENERGY SCANDAL UNFURLING, AMCIT HELD ON 
"ECONOMIC ESPIONAGE" CHARGES 
 
REF: A. BUCHAREST 1747 
     ¶B. BUCHAREST 1694 
     ¶C. BUCHAREST 1653 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Mark Taplin for reasons 1.5 (b) 
and (d). 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY.  An unfolding energy-related scandal is 
causing turmoil among Romania's political and economic 
elites, with allegations of corruption and influence peddling 
hitting two government ministers, among others.  The 
accusations come with the approach of winter and amid 
political attacks on Romania's largest energy company, 
Petrom, majority-owned by Austria's OMV.  One American 
citizen is among those embroiled in investigations, and has 
been taken into custody (at least temporarily) and barred 
from leaving the country.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Approach of Winter Prompts Energy Angst 
--------------------------------------- 
¶2. (C) Energy independence and Romania's perceived 
vulnerability vis-a-vis Russian oil and gas interests have 
been constant topics in Romania in the past months, and are a 
central component to the GOR's National Security Strategy. 
As winter approaches, along with the need to provide natural 
gas for heating to millions of low income Romanians, 
President Basescu and the GOR are seeking solutions and 
applying pressure to counter the looming prospect of higher 
energy prices in the coming months. 
 
¶3. (C) In the most dramatic gesture to date, Romanian 
President Traian Basescu convened a meeting of the Supreme 
Defense Council (CSAT), Romania's equivalent of the National 
Security Council, on November 22 to address energy security, 
including the question of the legality of recent energy 
privatizations.  The most important privatization under 
scrutiny is the OMV (Austrian petroleum and gas company) 
acquisition of a 51% stake in Petrom in 2003.  Petrom and OMV 
have been the main target of Basescu's frustration as energy 
prices continue to mount in Romania, with Basescu asserting 
that the state was disadvantaged in the sale.  Among other 
decisions, the CSAT concluded that energy privatization 
contracts, currently considered state proprietary 
information, should be unclassified.  The press reported on 
November 29 that all major foreign companies, including OMV, 
had assented to this demand.  Basescu, a vocal critic of 
Gazprom and Russian energy policy, commented that he would 
like more information about OMV's ownership structure.  He 
stated publicly that he fears OMV's 51 percent stock float is 
vulnerable to purchase by Russian energy firms.  OMV 
dismissed these concerns, stating that any stockholder that 
accumulated more than five percent of shares would have to be 
notified to the Vienna Stock Exchange. 
 
Charges Fly in Privatization Scandals 
------------------------------------- 
¶4. (U) Shortly after the CSAT met and announced its 
decisions, accusations emerged against current Minister of 
Economy and Commerce Ian-Codrut Seres and current Minister of 
Communications and Information Technology Zsolt Nagy alleging 
both illegally rendered insider information on state 
privatizations to outside parties.  Both Seres and Nagy were 
linked to Bulgarian Stamen STANCEV, described in the Romanian 
media as a Bucharest-based consultant who has advised several 
international firms involved in the privatization process. 
Press reports have linked Stancev to controversial business 
ventures Alro Slatina (owned by the Russian-controlled Marco 
Group) and Rosia Montana and to Glencore Ltd., controlled by 
Marc Rich. 
 
¶5. (U) A press release from prosecutors in the Office for 
Criminality and Terrorism Investigation (DIICOT) accused 
Stancev of leading a criminal ring that received state 
secrets regarding privatizations concluded under both the 
 
SIPDIS 
current and previous governments.  This included a 
consultancy contract for Petrom's privatization, in which 
Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) bested Bank of America in 
¶2002.  Other individuals named in the DIICOT press release 
include: Mihai Dorinel MUCEA, deputy director of the Office 
of State Ownership and Privatization in Industry (OPSPI) 
under Minister Seres; Mihai Radu DONCIU, counselor to 
 
BUCHAREST 00001797  002 OF 003 
 
 
Minister Nagy responsible for privatizations; Mircea Calin 
FLORE, CSFB local representative; Robert Marius NEAGOE, OPSPI 
legal director; Oral MUSTAFA, international consultant, 
Turkish citizen; Michal SUSAK, executive director of PPF 
Investments; and Vadim Don BENYATOV, CSFB Europe banker, 
American citizen.  Mucea, who survived the 2004 government 
transition, was the primary author of Petrom's privatization, 
and sat on OMV/Petrom's Board of Directors until suspended in 
the wake of last week's accusations. 
 
¶6. (U) Authorities announced that Stancev's apartment 
contained documents related to the recent privatization of 
Bucharest's electrical utility, Electrica Muntenia Sud, the 
privatization strategy for Romania's thermal-energy 
complexes, the recent sale of state-owned Transgaz's shares 
in Romexterra Bank to Czech private equity firm PPF, and the 
privatization of Radiocomunicatii (communications company). 
Documents related to the Credit Suisse consulting contract 
allegedly included correspondence between the U.S. Embassy 
and the MEC. 
 
¶7. (U) Both Seres and Nagy, representatives from the two 
smaller parties within the ruling coalition, have denied 
wrongdoing, though they both admitted to having met with 
Stancev.  Seres and Nagy have fought back, saying the 
accusations are politically motivated.  Prime Minister 
Tariceanu, who has just returned from knee surgery in Paris, 
has not commented publicly on the charges so far. 
 
Economy Minister on the Hot Seat 
-------------------------------- 
¶8. (C)The energy sector has been in turmoil, particularly 
with the rise in global energy costs and increased pressure 
on the GOR to allow for full market pricing of its indigenous 
natural gas.  While the GOR regulates the captive consumer 
market (individual households and small businesses), 
OMV/Petrom has exercised its right to sell natural gas on the 
open market despite government objections.  Under EU and IMF 
pressure, the GOR has reluctantly agreed to liberalize the 
market for large consumers, which represent 75 percent.  In 
October, a relatively low demand month, OMV/Petrom forced the 
issue by withholding production from regional distributors, 
compelling them to agree to higher prices than the GOR had 
sought to impose. 
 
¶9. (C) According to industry sources, after extensive 
negotiations between Petrom and the Ministry of Economy and 
Commerce (MEC), the MEC agreed to back off its demand that 
Petrom adhere to the regulated price for all sales, on 
condition that Petrom would offer a fixed amount of gas at 
concessionary prices to low-income consumers.  However, ten 
minutes before the scheduled announcement, Seres received a 
call from government regulators stating that the deal was 
illegal.  According to industry sources, Seres was caught 
completely by surprise and alleged that domestic industry 
interests were behind the action. 
 
¶10. (C) In his own counterattack, Minister Seres held a 
surprise Sunday press conference on November 19, to air 
allegations that his family was being followed and that he 
was under constant pressure from all elements of the 
government, including from his own party (Conservative Party 
) PC), to cut special deals for vested interests.  Seres 
also announced at the press conference that he had suspended 
the directors of the national gas distribution company 
(Romgaz) and the national electricity distribution company 
(Transelectrica) because of ongoing criminal investigations 
into their actions.  Seres announced that several contracts 
with energy trading firms would be revoked and state-owned 
firms would be required to sell energy on the newly-created 
electricity trading boards.  Several of the affected firms, 
including Grivco, are controlled or connected to the PC's 
oligarchic party president, Dan Voiculescu. 
 
¶11. (C) According to a well-placed government source, Seres 
no longer has political support, either from within the 
government or his own party.  Accusations surfacing the week 
of November 27 corroborate this assertion, as information 
contained in prosecutorial documents appeared in the top 
Romanian daily Jurnalul National, owned by Voiculescu. 
Despite owing his position to the Voiculescu machine, some 
 
BUCHAREST 00001797  003 OF 003 
 
 
analysts believe that Seres, who is 37 and a past manager at 
Grivco, has attempted to carve out a more independent stance 
within the PC along with other young party members.  Seres 
also has cultivated closer ties with President Basescu, and 
accompanied him on state visits to Washington and Baku to 
discuss energy issues.  Basescu and Voiculescu have a 
well-established mutual dislike, with Basescu accusing 
Voiculescu, a former Securitate officer, of being a 
fifth-column within the ruling coalition. 
 
Amcit is Targeted in Investigation 
------------------------------- 
¶12. (C) In connection with the case centered around the 
Bulgarian consultant Stancev, an Amcit bank official named 
Vadim Benyatov from Credit Suisse First Boston's European 
division is also facing charges.  According to Romanian 
prosecutors and contacts from the domestic intelligence 
service, Benyatov and others have been under investigation 
(including through phone surveillance) since April.  Law 
enforcement officials claim that Benyatov definitely knew 
about the unauthorized passing of the terms of reference for 
privatization tenders.  The lead prosecutor candidly 
acknowledged to Legatt that he has gone to Basescu to seek 
permission to charge the Minister of Economy himself. 
Romanian prosecutors placed Benyatov in preventive detention 
for 24 hours on November 29, and the Consul General is 
currently attending a hearing on Benyatov's case. 
 
¶13. (C) The core of the case is the allegation that Stancev, 
who prosecutors characterize as a direct employee of Benyatov 
and Credit Suisse, conspired with officials of the two 
Ministries to pass confidential information on the terms of 
reference for privatization tenders.  This type of 
information under Romanian law is considered in the same 
category as state secrets, hence the "economic espionage" 
charge.  Romanian prosecutors also informally suggested that 
Benyatov and his alleged associates may have violated U.S. 
law as well, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. 
 
¶14. (C) COMMENT.  It is difficult for Embassy at this 
juncture to make a judgment about the accuracy or 
sustainability of the charges against the prosecution 
targets, including CSFB's Benyatov.  We note, however, that 
the energy sector has traditionally been one of the most 
highly manipulated and corruption-prone sectors in the 
Romanian economy. Vested Romanian business interests have 
long sought to control the local energy resources in a manner 
that would benefit the many dinosaur industries (including 
chemical and fertilizer plants) that are only competitive due 
to cheap energy. 
 
¶15. (C) What seems clear is that President Basescu has jumped 
on another populist bandwagon that will resonate among the 
Romanian voters.  Rumors, replayed by Basescu himself, have 
circulated that the two largest Romanian energy firms, 
OMV/Petrom and Rompetrol, are considering selling significant 
assets to Russian energy firms.  Both Basescu and Tariceanu 
have indicated in private meetings with U.S. officials that 
they are concerned about this possibility.  Post will closely 
monitor the case in the days and weeks ahead, both to make 
sure that a criminal investigation involving at least one 
Amcit is handled in a legal and transparent fashion, and in 
order to gauge whether the motives behind the case are driven 
more by law enforcement or political considerations. END 
COMMENT. 
TAUBMAN