The SCHWEIGHOFER network. Who has earned how much from cutting the forests of Romania
RISE PROJECT, a Romanian investigative journalist’s network, has released an article about the top 12 wood suppliers of the Austrian sawmill giant HOLZINDUSTRIE SCHWEIGHER in Romania. Please find below the translation of the introduction to the article called The Schweighofer network. Who has earned how much from cutting the forests (by Romana Puiulet)
The table with the top 12 companies. To the right the income during 2013-14 (in Lei. For amounts in Euro, devide by 4,40)
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“Holzindustrie Schweighofer’s money, the biggest wood processor in Romania, has fed politicians, public servants and business people with a criminal record. Their companies cut the forest and sell the logs directly to the company owned by one of the richest families in Austria. Most of them work exclusively for Schweighofer and the amount of money they cash in is thrilling, which reveals how much financial interest is at stake when it comes to destroy the forests of Romania. The most important seller is the Romanian State itself, through “Regia Națională a Pădurilor Romsilva”, whose boss is being brought to court together with (the Bucharest politician) Viorel Hrebenciuc for corruption and support of a criminal group.
RISE Project has analysed HS’ top 12 wood suppliers who have delivered over one third of the total amount of wood bought by the Autrian company in 2013-2014. In other words, the top 12 benficiaries of the money paid by HS, according to the thousands of supply contracts filed by the company with the financial authorities. The 12 suppliers cut the trees mainly in the counties of Alba, Bistrița, Harghita, Maramureș and Suceava – hence in the area most affected by massive cuttings.
Some of these companies are remote controled by HS leading staff. Others are linked to state officials and are being investigated by prosecutors. Some of the bosses of the suppliers have a long reaching criminal past: some others are being funded directly by the Austrian corporation in order to stimulate them to cut as much as possible.”
The complete article (in Romanian) can be found here >>>
