We learned about the troublemaker street at the public meeting of the Edinet municipal Council in the summer of 2020, and also then, in another material we showed the dubious way of conducting, selecting and voting the question regarding the streets proposed for asphalting through The program of periodic repair/maintenance of national, local and communal public roads (approved by GD no. 925/2020). In 2020, all the money provided by the government for Edinet municipality through this Program was directed for the asphalting of a single street – Episcop Dorimedont, with a length of 456 m, and, and so that the ”selection” was not conspicuous, they added another 13 m street that was not even mentioned at that meeting, in total 1,492,600. 00 lei.
We will not dwell now on the beneficiary or winner of the auction. The beneficiary is S.E. “State Administration of roads”, and the service contract was won by I. P. S. Corsag SRL, but the entire package of public interest documents is kept with great care away from the eyes of interested persons.
Next, however, we will show who and how solved his agenda of personal interests, using the position of public dignitary he holds.
As a short presentation, for those who do not know the area, on Episcop Dorimedont Street there are max. 20 houses, all built on the eyebrow, located in a new, constantly expanding neighborhood. On the same street, more precisely Episcop Dorimedont no. 2, the religious community Cathedral dedicated to “Sf. Basil the Great” within the Orthodox Church of Moldova in mun. Edinet has its registered office, established on 25.04.2019.
It is headed by no other than the local councilor Adrian Cotelea, according to public data from the Register of organizations on the official page of the Public Services Agency. The interest in this religious organization led by Mr. Adrian Cotelea, unfortunately was not declared by him either in 2019 or in 2020.
Coincidentally or not, it also holds the function of Secretary of the Eparchy of Edinet and Briceni.
Right on the official page of the Edinet and Briceni Eparchy, we find a message regarding the New Cathedral in Edinet municipality under construction: “That is why the Eparchy wants to build a new cathedral, much larger and roomier, which also includes a bell tower in the project, and a new episcopal office. They will be built on the land granted in 1999 by Edinet City Hall, near the current episcopal registered office, on Bucovina Road. The site of the new cathedral was already consecrated by Metropolitan Vladimir on November 13, 2007.”
It should be noted that Mr. Adrian Cotelea became public dignitary on 01.11.2019 at both the Edinet municipal Council and the Edinet District Council.
If you are wondering what would be the connection between the administration of the religious community cathedral dedicated to “St. Basil the Great”, which he established, the position of Secretary of the Edinet and Briceni Eparchy and the position of public dignitary, we inform you, in case he may not even know the law, according to art. 15 (2) of Law 125/2007 on freedom of conscience, thought and religion, it states that “The state does not interfere in the religious activity of cults. Religious cults and their component parts refrain from expressing or publicly expressing their political preferences or favoring any political party or socio-political organization.”
It would have been too good to be so. But no. In reality, the eparchial secretary Adrian Cotelea is simultaneously a counselor from the PSRM at the Municipal Council of Edinet and the Rayon Council of Edinet. How this violation of the law of incompatibility of function was possible, and especially, without anyone taking notice, is unknown. Just as we do not know if the Metropolitan Church of Chisinau knows about these things, given that the Bishopric of Edinet and Briceni belongs to it.
Although on the page of the Eparchy of Edinet and Briceni Mr. Cotelea appears as Secretary, in the declaration of wealth incomes as an employee are not registered from the given organization, but only consistent money donations from this. Probably, the revenues of the Eparchy of Edinet and Briceni are too high, and the surplus is donated to some privileged people.
Basically, we could deduce that the Government of the Republic of Moldova in 2020 from almost all the money allocated to Edinet municipality for asphalting, 97.22% financed the asphalting of Episcop Dorimedont Street, the new episcopal registered office of the Cathedral ”Sf. Basil the Great”. Was this a violation on the part of the government or not? This is if we want to comply with the above mentioned law, such as “The state does not interfere in the religious activity of cults” or that ”the unjustified interference of state bodies and organizations, persons with a responsible position in the activity of religious communities, as well as religious communities in the activity of state bodies and organizations, persons with a responsible position, is not allowed”.
Returning to the arguments supporting the personal interests of councilor Adrian Cotelea who voted for the asphalting of Episcop Dorimedont street from government money, in addition to that Cathedral, councilor Adrian Cotelea also owns on the same street some real estate-land and house, some declared, and a land, including its acquisition in 2019, undeclared…
Although the fact is consumed, it seems that Mr. Adrian Cotelea will benefit long term from the influence of his vote in Decision no. 7/1 of 15.07.2020 regarding the selection of Episcop Dorimedont Street for asphalting, by creating advantageous conditions for the goods owned and managed by him, compared to other parallel streets in the area (e.g. str. Meseriașilor) where there is no even gravel.
Recently, on August 11, on the agenda of the Edinet Court was the file no. 2-20112892-28-3-15092020 on the finding of illegality of Decision No. 7/1 of 15.07.2020 regarding the selection and asphalting of Episcop Dorimendont street through The program of periodic repair/maintenance of national, local and communal public roads as well as provision no. 107/14.07. 2020 regarding the convocation of the ad hoc meeting of the Edinet municipal Council, initiated as a result of our notification by OT Edinet of the State Chancellery. The file is out 4 consecutive deadlines on postponement. Reason for postponements – failure to submit the administrative file by the Edinet City Hall and the Edinet City Council, and at the 5th term the solution was given that the request of OT Edinet of the State Chancellery is unfounded, while the association requested and presented the evidence of the public meeting of 15.07.2020 to the Edinet Court.
Finally, we hope that the central authorities in Chisinau will take notice and start an investigation, shedding light on this case.
