Romania’s Competition Council has launched an investigation into the private security services sector, carrying out dawn raids at four companies suspected of anticompetitive conduct in public procurement procedures.
The inspections targeted SGPI Security Force SRL, TMG Guard SRL, Ambasador Group Security SRL, and Team Force Security SRL as part of a probe into a possible cartel and/or coordinated practices linked to public tenders for security services.
According to the authority, the investigation concerns procurement procedures organized by various Romanian public bodies since 2020, including entities such as Transgaz, University of Bucharest, the National Road Infrastructure Company, Iași Airport, and the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca.
The Competition Council suspects the companies may have engaged in market allocation and coordinated their commercial strategies, including the prices submitted in tenders. Investigators are also examining whether the firms reached agreements regarding the use of employment subsidies received for hiring personnel.
The authority said it is assessing whether these alleged practices may have distorted public procurement procedures in the security services market. The inspections were authorized by the Bucharest Court of Appeal and were carried out to secure documents and information relevant to the investigation.
Romania’s Competition Council emphasized that the dawn raids do not prejudge the outcome of the case or the liability of the companies involved.
If the authority ultimately finds an infringement of competition rules, the companies could face fines of up to 10 percent of annual turnover. Businesses that cooperate under Romania’s leniency program may qualify for immunity or substantial reductions in penalties.
