The company in which Mihai Daraban, the president of the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIR), holds over 10% ownership is accused by the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) of bribing officials to secure a contract with the American military base at Mihail Kogălniceanu, Constanța. The company is managed by Daraban’s brother.
In SC Global Defense Logistics SRL, Gabriel Daraban, Mihai’s brother, owns a 10.38% stake and also serves as the administrator of the company. Other shareholders include Tevfik Lufti Moran (48.18%), Canadian Ozbek Haldun (16.06%), and Greek Ioannis Gelasakis (15%).
The company specializes in „ancillary services related to water transport” and, last year, recorded a turnover of 1 billion lei and a profit of 44.3 million lei, with only 25 employees. Before 2017, the company was known as Gedvec Defence Logistic SRL.
$200,000 for a €9 Million Contract
According to DNA, in 2024, SC Global Defense Logistics SRL, through one of its associates, allegedly offered over $200,000 in bribes to an official from an international organization. The money was intended to secure a port administration (husbanding) services contract for refueling ships, worth over €9 million.
Later, on July 12, 2024, and October 9, 2024, Global Defense Logistics SRL, through its Greek representative, allegedly paid €100,000 in bribes to a foreign public official from the same international organization, in exchange for assistance in securing contracts for the company.
€30,000 in Cash at a Restaurant
On January 29, 2025, SC Global Defense Logistics SRL, through its Greek representative, allegedly handed €30,000 in cash to the same foreign public official at a restaurant in a hotel in Ilfov County. The money, which was unwarranted, was given in relation to the official’s duties or to influence decisions contrary to those duties, ensuring the company’s advantage in international economic operations.
Case Built with the Help of American Investigators
Investigators suspect that two other individuals assisted Global Defense Logistics SRL in the bribery scheme—one being a company associate and the other having control over the company’s bank accounts.
The case is being investigated in collaboration with U.S. authorities, including the Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), alongside prosecutors from the Bucharest Court of Appeal.
Daraban and the 50 Subagents
CCIR’s main source of income comes from the fees paid by over 14,000 companies it represents, which vary based on each company’s turnover. Another revenue stream is Romexpo SA, where CCIR is the majority shareholder, renting spaces at low rates to various publications.
Mihai Daraban insists that he has no involvement in any corruption case, stating that his company has been a contractor for NATO ships and the U.S. Navy since 2016. He also clarified that Global Defense Logistics SRL has no contracts or ties with the Mihail Kogălniceanu military base.
Additionally, Daraban highlighted that his company operates through over 50 subagents worldwide, making it difficult to guarantee the integrity of each subagent in their dealings with the ships they serve.
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