THE MORNING IN THE WEST

International scandal for the ex-headquarter of COMTIM

Digital war "guerilla-style" with the largest accounting firm in the world

The Romanian office of PricewaterhouseCoopers is fingered out on the Internet* The reason - they oppose the restitution of a house * The heirs claim that PwC Romania has used intimidation, blackmail and lies * This case has appeared in the Canadian press * The Romanian representatives firm are of a different opinion 

The old Timisoara headquarter of COMTIM is the subject of a scandal of international proportions. The house has been claimed by two Canadians of Romanian origin, who say that the largest accounting firm in the world, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), tolerates dubious practices of their Romanian office. PwC Romania, as the liquidator of COMTIM, is accused, in very strong words, of having used "lies, blackmail and intimidations" to block the restitution of the house to the heirs.  Such an approach, extreme communist like, is at odds with the image of PricewaterhouseCoopers, a company viewed as professional and very appreciated in the West. Just because there the image matters, Eugen Szekely, one of the two brothers that claim the house, has initiated a guerilla-style digital war with PwC.  He has created an Internet page located at the www.pwcromania.com Web address.  Those who access the site, instead of finding the official page of the company, they find out how PwC has blocked the reparation of an injustice done by the Communist Romanian State, when it simply stole the houses of Romanian citizens. The restitution scandal of the ex-headquarter of COMTIM has received coverage in the Canadian press, Romania being described as a country where the injustice of the totalitarian communist regime have not been repaired. On Sunday, May 11th, the Canadian newspaper Ottawa Sun has dedicated two pages to this case.  The claim of the PwC Romania representatives is totally different, they are declaring that their actions were correct and legal.

"The largest accountant in the world" is not accountable?

Eugen Szekely says that the house for which he is fighting was built by his grandfather and nationalized in 1950 by the communist state.  Since 1977, the house has been the headquarter of COMTIM. In 1999, after the liquidation of the firm has been decided, the Romanian office of PricewaterhouseCoopers, the largest accounting firm in the world, was chosen to oversee it.  "Although COMTIM was not the title deed holder of the house (in the name of the Romanian State since nationalization), PwC has attempted to sell the house, in September 1999", says Eugen Szekely. He tried to open a case in Court, to receive his inheritance, at which point the representatives of the liquidator have intervened. The case was suspended in march 2001 and was initiated, says Szekely, by "the messages sent by the PwC consultant overseeing COMTIM's liquidation (...)". He asked the heir to agree with PwC selling the house and then giving him part of the money.  "I told them that I do not accept such a solution and I want the restitution of the house, as specified by the law", declares Szekely, who says, that after his refusal, he was threatened that PwC will use all their resources to force him to accept their offer". Officially, the heir sent a request to PwC for the restitution of the house. "In August 2001, I received a communication from PwC Romania, signed by Emilian Radu, leader of the liquidations section, through which I was refused the restitution on grounds that are beyond absurd: the house was and is the headquarter of COMTIM, the house contains the archives, the liquidation activity that takes place in the house is very complex and is only 40% completed and, in addition, it was structurally modified.  At the same time, I was offered a compensation, without specifying the amount of the compensation ", says Eugen Szekely.

The case goes to Court and then in the international courtyard of PwC  

Discontented by the reply, Eugen Szekely sends a letter, in September 2001, explaining why he does not want to accept the proposition of PwC Romania. As the two sides were in disagreement, they found themselves in litigation, the first court date being on November 27th 2002.  At the same time, says Eugen Szekely, PwC proceeded to sell the litigious rights to the house. A local newspaper published, in November 17th 2002, a notice through which the sale of the litigious rights to the house to the Agrotorvis company was made public.  "Although, in August, PwC refused me the restitution of the house, claiming the necessity of continuing COMTIM's liquidation in the same house, at the same time it was in negotiations with Agrotorvis to sell them the litigious rights", declares Eugen Szekely.  He sent letters to the Judge overseeing the liquidation and to the president of PwC in UK. Other court appearances followed, as well as a thick correspondence with the PwC representatives from England.  The conclusion reached by Szekely was that PwC "never had the intention to comply with the law, but used false claims in order to oppose the restitution of the house, trying at the same time to benefit from a clandestine sale".  Informing PwC UK representatives about this case had brought no improvement to the situation, which made the heir strike the company in its most sensitive spot...their public image.  In this way, PricewaterhouseCoopers Romania got a beauty of a web page, where the whole "ordeal" is presented in minute detail.  Szekely declares that he will not give up and will fight with all means available to get back what was the property of his family.

On the other side of the barricade

The position of PwC Romania was expressed by Speranta Munteanu, the director of the Liquidation Department: "The opinion expressed on this site is emotional and subjective.  We looked for legal ways of stopping the authors from using without permission the name of our company, but we have decided, after all, that those interested in our company and our services are discerning people and cannot be influenced by a site with a precise goal of defamation and intimidation".  The director Munteanu replied that PwC Romania, as the liquidator of COMTIM, was under the obligation to defend the interests of the firm (COMTIM - translator's note) and those of its creditors:  "This did not mean a refusal of the restitution of the house, but involved a careful verification of the request and the claims of the supposed heirs to avoid a fraud against COMTIM's interests."  The PwC representative says that the brothers Szekely couldn't prove in front of the court that they are the heirs of Ianos Klein and for this reason they cannot receive the title deed to the house.  Speranta Munteanu also said that all the inquiries of the international offices of PwC had concluded that the Romanian office acted "in sync with the legal norms relative to bankruptcies and the activity of consultants in reorganization and liquidation".

Malin BOT

Politia sifonata  

Masina sefului Biroului Politiei Rutiere a fost lovita de doua autoturisme  

Doua autoturisme au lovit, ieri dupa-amiaza, o masina a politiei aflata in misiune. VW-ul Passat, cu numarul TM-21-PJT, avand sirena si girofarurile puse in functiune, a incercat sa treaca de intersectia Cluj cu strada Eroilor. Speriata de sunetul strident al sirenei, o femeie aflata la volanul unui Opel Astra, cu numarul TM-81-LAW, Marcela S~rbu, a acrosat Dacia unui taximetrist care oprise pentru a ceda trecerea autoturismului aflat in misiune. Politistul a intrat astfel frontal in cele doua masini care i-au aparut in fata, rasucindu-se pana la unul dintre semafoare. Femeia a suferit mai multe rani, la cap si brate, fiind transportata la Spitalul Judetean din Timisoara, iar cele trei masini au fost serios avariate. ãMa grabeam la un accident mortal de la Jebel, unde aveam un biciclist ucis de un sofer care a parasit locul accidentului. Aveam doar trei minute de la solicitare si mergeam dupa sefuÕ. Daca taximetristul trecea repede nu ne mai loveam", a afirmat agentul de circulatie care conducea masina politiei. Masina care urma sa-l ia chiar pe seful Biroului Politiei Rutiere Timisoara, comisarul-sef Petre Secara, petru a-l transporta la incidentul mortal de la Jebel. ãNu ne mai urcam in ea pana nu o sfinteste un preot. E a doua oara in decurs de sase luni cand este tamponata", a afirmat Secara. El urma sa ajunga la Jebel, unde un localnic aflat pe bicicleta a fost accidentat mortal de o dubita. Soferul a parasit locul accidentului, a ascuns masina, dupa care si-a dres necazul in birtul comunei. Spre seara, el a fost identificat si retinut, fiind transportat la spital.

S.CERCEL

Cascadorie pe Take Ionescu  

Un Audi A4 s-a rasucit in aer si a aterizat pe contra-sens, cu rotile in sus * Cei cinci tineri aflati in masina nu au mai ajuns la iarba verde, fiind transportati direct la spital  

Viteza si neatentia a stat la baza producerii unui spectaculos incident rutier, ieri dimineata, in jurul orei 10.00, la cativa metri de sediul Politiei Timis. Un superb Audi A4, inscris in circulatie cu numarul de inmatriculare TM-82-LOK, care rula cu viteza mare pe bulevardul Take Ionescu din Timisoara, dinspre Piata Badea Cartan catre Oituz, a facut o pirueta in aer, dupa care a aterizat pe plafon, pe celalalt sens de circulatie. Patru tineri, doua fete si doi baieti, pasageri in masina, au fost scosi de cativa trecatori. In masina rasturnata a ramas blocat doar soferul, care a fost scos cu greu din interior. Potrivit agentilor de circulatie, soferul Marian Dumitru, de 24 de ani, a apasat pana la capat pedala de acceleratie, iar din motive ramase inca neclare a intrat in plin in scuarul aflat in dreptul Loteriei Nationale. Viteza de deplasare a masinii a fost atat de mare, incat din impactul cu bordura, autoturismul a fost aruncat la cativa metri de sol, ca de pe o trambulina, s-a rasucit in aer si a aterizat la cativa metri departare, pe contra-sens, unde a ramas cu rotile in sus. Ocupantii locurilor din fata au avut noroc cu cele doua perne de aer (air-baguri), care s-au deschis in urma primului impact. Martori oculari au afirmat ca soferul a incercat sa evite un pieton aflat chiar pe ãzebra" sau a intentionat sa vireze la stanga, pe strada Filipescu. ãEram pe terasa, la doi pasi de intersectie. Am auzit zgomotul puternic de frana. Avea o viteza foarte mare, astfel ca masina a intrat intr-un fel de tangaj, iar soferul nu a reusit sa o mai controleze. Nu stiu daca era un om pe trecerea de pietoni, cert este ca am vazut cum masina a zburat prin aer, a lovit si semnul de la trecerea de pietoni, dupa care a aterizat pe tavan, pe partea cealalta a scuarului", a afirmat unul din cei care au ajutat la scoaterea ranitilor. Patru dintre ocupantii masinii, intre care si soferul, au suferit rani usoare. Mai grav a fost ranit pasagerul aflat pe ãscaunul mortului", Adrian Paul, de 25 de ani, din Resita, care a suferit leziuni la cap si fracturi. Cei cinci tineri au fost transportati cu ambulantele la Spitalul Municipal din Timisoara. In timp ce agentii de circulatie faceau masuratorile, urmand sa fie mutata masina pentru a decongestiona traficul, a aparut si proprietarul masinii. Acesta a marturisit ca soferul era un prieten, caruia i-a imprumutat masina sa mearga la iarba verde...

Sabin CERCEL

Armele la control!  

Politistii timiseni au confiscat doua arme de foc detinute ilegal * Unul dintre revolvere este un Mauser autentic, de pe vremea SS-istilor  

Lucratorii Biroului arme, explozivi si substante toxice din cadrul IPJ Timis au ridicat la sfarsitul saptamanii trecute o arma, adevarata piesa de muzeu, dintr-un imobil situat pe strada Rusu Sirianu din Timisoara. Politistii au descins la domiciliul lui Nicolae Balabanu, de unde au ridicat un pistol cu glont marca ãMauser", de calibrul 9 mm, si 60 de cartuse cu glont marca ãParabellum". Potrivit Biroului de presa al IPJ Timis, din primele cercetari efectuate de anchetatori rezulta ca arma provine chiar de la fostii nazisti. Balabanu a detinut pistolul si cartusele din timpul celui de-al doilea razboi mondial. Arma si munitia au fost ridicate in vederea continuarii cercetarilor, dar si pentru efectuarea expertizei balistice.

Pistolarul din Gataia  

O alta arma de foc a fost descoperita, in 20 iunie, de lucratorii Postului de Politie Gataia, in urma unei perchezitii domiciliare la gospodaria unui localnic. Agentii au ridicat din casa lui Vasile Stepan un revolver de calibru 4 mm, marca KESFRU, 28 de cartuse de calibru 6,5, perforate, fara incarcatura exploziva. Din cercetarile efectuate de politisti a rezultat ca Stepan a procurat revolverul din Ungaria, cand si-a vizitat mama, stabilita in tara vecina. El a introdus arma in Romania fara a o declara organelor vamale. Stepan a afirmat ca tuburile le-a procurat in timpul satisfacerii stagiului militar. El este cercetat in stare de libertate, sub aspectul savarsirii infractiunilor de contrabanda si nerespectarea regimului armelor si munitiilor. (S.C.)