Argentina bribery probe draws scrutiny to Turkey’s $1.72 billion vehicle inspection concession

An ongoing bribery investigation in Argentina has drawn attention to Turkey’s 20-year vehicle inspection concession after an executive linked to one of the winning consortium’s partners was named in the case.

The MOI Joint Venture Group secured the 2027–2047 concession for Turkey’s mandatory vehicle inspection system with a total payment of $1.72 billion. The group includes Met-Gün İnşaat, Opus Group AB, Itversia Gestion, and Argentina-based VTV Norte S.A. Operations are being structured under TURKA, the company formed to manage the next phase of the national inspection network.

Martín Serrano, an executive connected to VTV Norte, was named by Argentine prosecutors in a probe involving alleged active bribery tied to vehicle inspection tenders in Buenos Aires province. Serrano has not been convicted, and the case remains under judicial review.

Focus of the Argentine investigation

The probe centres on the provincial vehicle inspection system known as Verificación Técnica Vehicular (VTV). Prosecutors are examining alleged payments and business arrangements involving former Buenos Aires Transport Minister Jorge D’Onofrio and executives from related companies.

Investigators have scrutinized a 15 May 2023, agreement between inspection firms and technology provider Soluciones en Telecomunicaciones y Electrónica S.A., signed one month before the bid deadline for the Buenos Aires VTV tender. Prosecutors contended that the company was not required for submitting bids but later became involved with firms that won contracts.

No conviction has been issued against Serrano, and the investigation continues as an active judicial process.

Consortium and Turkish tender

Opus Group identifies VTV Norte as part of its corporate structure. This link has prompted questions about how ownership relationships, experience requirements, and qualification checks were assessed during Turkey’s tender process. Available information does not establish any violation of Turkish tender rules by the consortium or its members.

İYİ Party lawmaker Turhan Çömez raised the matter in the Grand National Assembly, asking Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek whether foreign partners had been screened for corruption-related allegations before the award. Şimşek replied that bidders submitted commitments under the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention framework and that tender conditions restricted ineligible entities. Such commitments address compliance standards but do not supersede judicial proceedings in another country.

Ownership and financing details limited

Corporate records show that TURKA Second Region Vehicle Inspection Stations Construction and Operation Inc. was established on 1 April 2026, with Met-Gün İnşaat as sole founder. The structure was later revised to end single-shareholder status. Publicly available records do not disclose the full share distribution among consortium members or the exact ownership percentages of Turkish and foreign partners.

The MOI consortium’s $1.72 billion commitment for the two regional packages also lacks public details on financing, including the contribution split between partners or any involvement by financial institutions.

Scope of the concession

The 20-year concession, set to begin in August 2027, covers Turkey’s nationwide mandatory vehicle inspection system. The operator will manage services while public authorities continue to regulate inspection fees. It ranks among Turkey’s largest long-term public-service concessions involving international partners.

The Argentine investigation has highlighted the due-diligence process behind a deal that will run for two decades. It does not, however, establish criminal liability for the consortium or its partners in Turkey.

The original article by EUalive’s partner Bosphorus News can be found here.

Caption: A vehicle inspection facility illustration representing Turkey’s 2027-2047 concession, awarded to a consortium including Met-Gün İnşaat, Opus Group, Itversia Gestion and Argentina-based VTV Norte S.A. [Photo: Bosphorus News]