Giurgiulesti port
According to the American publication Politico, the lobbying company Chartwell Strategy Group LLC was hired by the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP to work on behalf of Bemol Retail SRL. The latter is known to have been defending its interests in Moldovan and international courts since 2013, challenging the fraudulent misappropriation of assets, including those related to the Giurgiulesti International Free Port.
Bemol confirmed that a few months ago it turned to a well-known American company for assistance in resolving the situation related to Thomas Moser and Danube Logistics. But they did not disclose the name of the firm.
The bani.md publication claims that the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP had earlier addressed a letter to Moldovan President Maia Sandu, noting: “The misconduct of Mr. Moser and others has caused significant financial damage to BEMOL Retail. The debt that Danube Moldova owes to BEMOL Retail remains unpaid, despite the rulings of the Moldovan courts. We understand that the Moldovan government is currently conducting a criminal investigation into the misappropriation of property by Mr. Moser during his administration. Our client is concerned that proposed transactions aimed at transferring the port property to others may render court orders for recovery meaningless.”
The point of this message is that there have been recent rumors about the sale of the Giurgiulesti port to third parties. Today, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is the ultimate beneficiary of the asset, although it does not own shares of the port or the owner company. It is known that Thomas Moser previously worked for the EBRD.
Chartwell Strategy Group is known in the United States as being closely associated with the Donald Trump administration.
In this context, the registration of lobbying activities in the US in favor of Bemol adds a new international dimension to the dispute over Danube Logistics and Giurgiulesti port. External partners and international experts are involved, which gives a completely new direction to the conflict. This should be taken into account by the Moldovan authorities, who will largely determine how the situation around the Giurgiulesti port will be resolved.
