Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
YEAR 1992
Creation of the Awdi group, an American-Lebanese investment group based in
Romania. With an initial base in Romania focused on computer electronics, the
Awdi group will in the following years expand in the USA, Brazil, Iraq, Lebanon,
Syria, with small operations in Europe and Asia, while extending its activities to
real estate, hotels, phone/IT, shopping centers and press distribution.
the Romanian economy was being rebuilt after the fall of communism. Mr. Awdi
was attracted by Romanias newly liberalized economy that offered the potential
and stability of a nation that was aspiring to join the European Union.
played a key role in the development of Romanias post-communist economy
and completed several landmark commercial projects over nearly 17 years. Both
directly and through his wholly-owned companies Enterprise Business
Consultants and Alfa El or other companies, Mr. Awdi invested considerable
amounts of money in the Romanian economy, including in real estate, importexport, trading as well as in press distribution, tourism, leisure and hospitality,
which are at the heart of this dispute. Mr. Awdis investments made him one of
the largest foreign investors in Romania and his investments have been valued
at hundreds of millions of dollars.
invested in Romania where they have been living and working for many years,
including Mr. Awdis brothers Mehdi, Hussein, Mohamed and Jamal. Their
investments, which are independent and unrelated to those subject of the
arbitration initiated by M. Awdi with the ICSID, have been mainly focused on real
estate, leisure and hospitality and commercial retail. The Awdi family therefore
became a key player in the Romanian economy, employing thousands of
Romanians and creating hundreds of new job opportunities in numerous projects
across the country.
YEAR 1994
Hassan Awdi, president and CEO of the Awdi group, is one of the founding
members, with other expatriate businessmen, of the International School of
Bucharest.
He is one of the 11 founding members of the US-Romanias chamber of commerce.
YEAR 1995
22 June 1995 Romania requests to become a member state of the European
Union.
YEAR 1997
Hassan Awdi partners with Orange Romania and enters the GSM business.
As the Romanian privatization process begins, the Awdi Group starts participating in the
privatization process, by acquiring some formerly state-owned companies.
YEAR 1999
10 December 1999 . Romanian opens accession negotiations with the European
Union.
YEAR 2003
Rodipet SA, a Romanian state-owned monopoly for press distribution, launches a public
bid in the context of the privatization process. The companys core business includes a
nationwide network of news kiosks, which are regarded as highly strategic assets as
highly visible locations to place advertisements and political campaign materials.
23 December 2003 . Rodipet SA is bought by Magnar, a Romanian company
owned by Enterprise Business Consultants (a U.S. company wholly owned by
Hassan Awdi). The privatization contract sets up obligations for Magnar and the
Authority for State Assets Recovery (AVAS).
AVAS will remain monitoring Rodipet SA 5 years, i.e. until 31 July 2009.
The privatization contract is validated by both the Romanian government and
parliament and fully complies with Romanian privatization law and practice.
Obligations arising from the privatization contract include:
1-For Magnar:
- Investing in the company,
- Investing 3.750.000 euros over the next five years (until 2009)
- Keeping Rodipet 3200 employees for 5 years .
- Signing a protocol with the Romanian press club to ensure distribution of
the Romanian press, all publications being treated the same way no
matter their commercial value
2-For AVAS
- Cancelling existing tax debt and other debts
- Ensuring the adoption of law granting Rodipet SA with the opportunity to
access land concessions for its kiosks for free for 49 years. This obligation
is written in the privatization contract. The prospect of such land monopoly
is instrumental in Magnars group decision to buy Rodipet SA. In fact, this
monopoly ensures optimized revenues from kiosks once they are all
renewed and modernized, and therefore and a very good return on
investment - estimated to hundreds of millions of dollars over the period
going from 2004-2014
- Ensuring that Romanian press club keeps all contracts to date with
Romanian institutions, or improve the provisions of these contracts over
the next 5 years
YEAR 2004
Almost no inquiries were ordered or carried out, no documents were seized, and no
research was made. During that period, not a single person was subjected to any
measure of any kind, whether a restriction of movement or otherwise.
YEAR 2007
1 January 2007 . The accession treaty making Romania a member of the
European Union enters in to force.
This is the positive outcome of a process started 12 years before.
With the EU accession, Romania hopes to boost its economy and become a
strategic regional leader in the Southern European region, thanks to its position
near the Black Sea and close top key energy supplying countries.
As an EU member state, Romania shall meet all the criteria defining membership to the
European Union, as developed on the occasion of the Copenhagen European Council in
December 1993. The first of these criteria is member states ability to offer stable
institutions that guarantee democracy, the rule of law, human rights (as per article 6 and
article 49 of the Treaty on the European Union).
YEAR 2008
A well-connected business press group highly involved in local politics offers to
buy Rodipet. Rodipets owner Hassan Awdi refuses proposed price in order to
pursue the development of Rodipet and its activities, as a means to get a fair
return on his initial investment.
20 January 2008 . IntelBiz, member of the Rodipet group, issues a recruitment
announcement, targeting non-Romanian nationals due to a workforce shortage in
Romania following EU accession; indeed, the progressive opening of frontiers
has attracted Romanians beyond their borders and many of them seek to work in
other EU capitals.
For non-Romanian nationals, the announcement offers the following benefits;
house, work visas lasting from 3 to 6 years, travel costs, medical insurance,
attractive net salary and bonuses based on results, career opportunities within a
European Union-based company.
15 Honduran nationals are invited by IntelBiz to join Romania to be trained and
employed by this company. The procedure is conducted in agreement with Romanian
immigration authorities, who are informed of the program at all times. These 15
Honduran nationals will yet be arrested by the Romanian immigration police, without
any legal grounds, later in 2008.
July 2008 . The Romanian supreme Court in four contradicting decisions with
few months by the same judges cancels law 2004/442, granting Rodipet SA with
the opportunity to access land concessions for its kiosks for free for 49 years
(+25 years). Rodipet is therefore stripped of its main asset from a
business/financial perspective: the 49 years (+ 25 years) concession.
YEAR 2009
A third attempt from a leading Romanian business group to buy Rodipet is again
rejected. Indeed, the offer consisted in setting up a joint venture with Rodipet SAs
ownership in order to get 50% of the company for free.
6 February 2009 . In an article released in DailyBusiess.ro, the Awdi Group is
listed amongst the top 25 most influential business entities in Romania, together
with other major groups.
March 2009 . Avas announce on to the Media that it nationalized Rodipet and
fabricated accusations . After 3 weeks fierce fighting ,
Rodipet SAs
management are summoned to attend a meeting with the Authority for State
Assets Recovery (AVAS). During this meeting, and despite obvious success in
the development of the firm with hundreds of millions of investments with the full
knowledge of AVAS , such as the development of hundreds of new kiosks,
Rodipet SAs management has to face groundless accusations of
mismanagement after they monitor the investments for 4 years .
July 2009 . Rodipet SA is nationalized by AVAS on the grounds that Magnar had
failed to fulfill a minor obligation ( stamped document ) arising from the
privatization contract of 2003. This decision has a very negative impact of its
3,300 employees, as AVAS then stopped paying them salaries. No
compensation is offered to Magnar.
August 2009 .Hassan Awdi, under constant pressure of the authorities and the
Media , and following warnings of friends and partners, fears that his security and
freedom of movement may not guaranteed anymore in Romania. He therefore
leaves the country, with hope, at the time, to be soon able to come back there to
find a compromise with Romanian authorities
YEAR 2010
31 May 2010 .An arbitration case is filed by Hassan Awdi, and two of his
companies, Business Consultants Inc. and Alfa El Corporation, with the
International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) hosted by the
World Bank. The Respondent, whom the case is filed against, is the Romanian
state. Its legal counsels are Lalive, Geneva (Switzerland) and Leaua Associatii,
Bucharest (Romania)
The three Claimants consider to have been illegally expropriated from Romania-based
company Rodipet, without receiving any fair compensation in return. According to
them, such situation contradicts the US-Romania bilateral Investment Treaty.
16 June 2010 . The case filed on 31 May with ICSID is registered under the no
ARB/2010/13, Details and updates are available under:
http://icsid.worldbank.org/ICSID/FrontServlet?requestType=CasesRH&reqFrom=
ListCases&caseId=C1100&actionVal=viewCase
Bucharest, as well as against some houses from Rodipets employees and management.
These raids are conducted by Organized Crime and Terrorism Investigation Directorate
(DIICOT). Starting 6.00 a.m. on 22 June 2010, only a few hours following the
authorization to raid the premises had been granted and a few days after the Request
for Arbitration had been registered with ICSID, the Romanian Government unleashed a
veritable army of hundreds of armed and masked police officers, some in civilian
clothing belonging to DIICOT targeting Claimants, their business partners, Mr. Hassan
Awdis brothers, their employees and their investments in Romania. Documents
referring to the Rodipet arbitration case are seized during these raids. Seventeen
persons with Arab and Romanian names only were selected from a list that include also
French , British, etc in a newspaper article Septamana Financiara in may 2006 . They
were summarily selected and accused based on witness statements of 4 ex-employees
of Rodipet that were fired for ethical behavior . The police and the prosecutors
fabricated files on them and put travel restrictions on them . But in few months all the
Romanians became free to travel . The prosecutors and Judges took discriminatory
decisions and kept the restrictions on the 5 Lebanese only including the 2 brothers of
Hassan awdi , Hussein awdi and Mehdi awdi were kept as hostages for 30 months
beyond the max of 2 years under EU laws . This is serious discrimination between
Romanian and non Romanian under the Romanian law. They were told on many
occasions by policemen, prosecutors and even the judges that they will be free when
they catch hassan awdi and when the case is dropped in ICSID world bank . They are
being monitored daily . Their religious, civil, human , property rights were broken
daily since the Raids . The authorities keep threatening them with different measures.
21 December 2010 .As both EU member states and Schengen Area member
states, France and Germany rejects Romanias application to enter the
Schengen area, which brings together some EU member states whose inhabitant
may cross border without control checking. According to French and German
authorities, Romania must improve fight against corruption.
23 December 2010 .The Claimants (Hassan Awdi, Business Consultants and
Alfa El Corporation) file a request for provisional measures. After briefing on the
matter and a full 1 day hearing, the Tribunal granted unrestricted access to
Claimants to the documents seized by DIICOT on 22 June 2010. The tribunal
was informed with evidence about Romania tampering and destruction of
documents.
YEAR 2011
01.09-2012 I made a penal claim on those policemen because after I lodged in May
2010 at I.C.S.I.D World Bank a complaint against Romania (File ARB/10/13), concerning
the privatization and the nationalization of Rodipet. Within few days Romania revenged
on me and created penal files. I was extremely surprised and astonished that the same
policemen ( their chief dan hosu is the husband of prosecutor Hosu ) connected to the
businesses of rotmar and adelmar companies with Rodipet were in charge of ALL THE
INVESTIGATIONS as they were the only ones available out of hundreds of
investigators, policemen and prosecutors in Romania . THEY were MY BUSINESS
CLIENTS , BECAME MY ENEMIES , MY INVESTIGATORS , MY PROSECUTORS AND
JUDGING ME IN THE SAME TIME ???? HOW COULD THAT BE POSSIBLE? Is this a
coincidence or organized Crime ?????
JUSTICE IN ROMANIA
Just after almost 4 years , we got to know the basis of DIICOTT prosecutor Giorgiana
hosu accusations that were made in her penal files on me hassan awdi and co . She sent
me in June 2010 almost 300 policemen and destroyed AWDI group. All her accusations
were based on two financial reports prepared by Consulta SPRL, Cornel Florea, and and
ex-employee of rodipet Vasile Uiflean. Mr cornel Florea a mechanical engineer then
became a financial expert after some seminars. Vasile Uifelean was fired from rodipet
for theft and serious alcoholic problems. He was jobless for almost 5 years then
suddenly became a general manager of Rodipet and a financial expert for DIICOTT and
the judicial court. Diicott experts for almost 4 years did not audit consulta , florea and
uifelan reports . What is wrong with those reports? . The reality, a junior high school
person can write better ones. They are full of mistakes, no logic in them, contradictory,
full of lies, and the writers had serious issue and DO NOT KNOW the difference between
old lei and new lei with a difference of 10000 to 1 . The famous 35.5 million euros that
all media had been talking about since june 2010 was fabricated and if 4 zeros were
taken out the number is 3500 Euros . When I analyzed them with my experts, we added
the supposed value of all abuses that diicott prosecutor Hosu had accused me of doing
to be almost 650 million Euros. We guess and we concluded that no one from DIIcott
had ever read in details and audited those reports. Diicott prosecutor took the
conclusions of this mechanical engineer and the 5 year jobless alcoholic uifelean and
made decisions ( ordinances or decrees like those made by Nicolae Ceauescu) that
confiscated : documents, assets, real estate properties, put jobless almost 3700
Romanians, destroyed awdi group companies ( all been looted ) , and took the freedoms
of 5 persons as hostages for 30 months. For all this good Job , Ms prosecutor Hosu and
almost all her team were promoted . I also would like to mention that the ex-chief of
police Dan hosu , the husband of prosecutor Hosu was involved with other policemen
with secret business deals with Rodipet ( me ) and did not pay their debt of couple of
hundreds of thousands of Euros . Also the son vlad dan hosu was working for Rodipet
(me ) and was fired for ethical behavior. The Romanian justice so far after many official
claims full of evidences, keep saying that this is not revenge and there is no conflict of
interests. THIS IS THE JUSTICE IN ROMANIA. A EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRY.
One will wonder why ?? Rodipet had almost 1700 kiosks . While under our management
the average rent value per kiosk is almost 150 euros per month. Access press kiosks in
Bucharest range between 300 to 450 euros per kiosk per month. However, consulta ,
florea and uifelean with Diicott protection had been for 5 years in charge managing the
kiosks , awdi group assets . One simple question and an example. If one multiply: 150
euros rent per month per kiosk x 12 months x 1700 kiosks x ( 4 or 5) years = approx 8
million euros. But consulta , Florea and uifelean registered in the books of rodipet only
almost half a million euros . why ??? Anaf and all authorities were notified many times
to audit the reports that Diicott used to prosecute me and to audit the books of rodipet
. But no one want to act . why? All want to accuse hassan awdi to cover up for other
crimes. THIS IS THE JUSTICE IN ROMANIA. A EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRY.
All is documented.
THE POLICEMEN AND PROSECUTORS AND OTHERS ARE ACCUSED :
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