Violations in Contracts and Bids
Investigations conducted by the Central Financial Control Body revealed explicit violations in contracting and bidding procedures within Aleppo Cables Company. The bid opening committee at the company accepted financial offers submitted by contractors despite containing deletions and amendments that violated the legal principles governing contracts, which was considered a clear breach of approved procedures. The investigations also showed violations in the management of bids, represented by converting a bid that was supposed to be conducted by sealed envelope into a public bid without completing the necessary legal procedures or re-announcing it according to proper protocols.
Sale of Additional Quantities of Industrial Waste
The findings also revealed that company officials sold additional quantities of industrial waste, including cables, strips, and copper sheets, to the contractors of contracts No. (8) and (9) for the year 2023. These quantities exceeded what was stipulated in the signed contracts, and the sale was made without adjusting prices to match the added quantities, which led to a financial loss for the company amounting to 1 billion and 183 million old Syrian Liras, in violation of the Contracts Law and the Book of Technical Conditions.
Responsibilities and Judicial Procedures
The Central Financial Control Body concluded by incriminating the contractor concerned with charges of fraud and theft of public funds, while holding the company's General Manager and the Commercial, Production, and Financial Managers responsible for negligence and dereliction of duty. It was decided to refer the contractor to the judiciary for crimes of fraud and theft, and to refer the company officials for the crime of negligence that caused the waste of public funds. The measures taken included imposing a precautionary seizure on the movable and immovable assets of those involved, to ensure the recovery of the full amounts resulting from the case.
Emphasis on Combating Corruption
The Central Financial Control Body affirmed its continued efforts in combating corruption and protecting public funds, emphasizing the importance of adherence to laws and transparency in all stages of oversight and investigative work, leading to the accountability of those responsible for violations. This case comes weeks after the Body announced the discovery of financial violations in the General Establishment for Electricity Generation in Damascus, dating back to the previous regime, and its financial impact was estimated at approximately six billion old Syrian Liras in addition to about 26 million US dollars.
