Head of a municipal food company and three economic agents, allegedly got rich at the expense of the kids. They were detained by the NAC and AP for corruption acts

Today, the NAC officers and the anti-corruption prosecutors detained the head of a municipal public catering company in Chisinau and three economic agents, in the cases, based on acts of passive and active corruption. They are suspected of having acted in complicity, rigging food purchase contracts for schools and kindergartens in the capital, thus causing large damages to the local budget. 

The case was documented by the NAC and prosecutors for several months, during this time the evidence was accumulated on the operation of a corruption scheme, organized by the head of the municipal enterprise jointly with several economic agents. According to the investigation, the official concluded food supply contracts with the economic agents for the school and pre-school institutions, and as a reward, they had to offer him a kickback from each signed contract. The official allegedly suggested to his accomplices that he fictitiously increase the purchase price of the foodstuffs and give the price difference to him. According to the information obtained, the commission charged on each contract amounted to 25 percent, and the money was sent to the head's office. 

In the process of documenting the case, episodes of transmission of several sums of money were found, ranging from 5,000 lei to 18,000 lei. In order to accumulate other evidence, pertinent to the case, the NAC and the anti-corruption prosecutors carried out, this morning, 18 searches at several addresses in Chisinau municipality. The prosecution is targeting the head of the company and three food suppliers for schools and kindergartens in Chisinau. During the searches, the Center officers collected various sums of money, in lei and foreign currency, from the persons subject to the searches, accounting documents, contracts and other information relevant to the objective and multilateral examination of the case. 

The official and the three economic agents were detained for 72 hours and escorted to the NAC for questioning. They are suspected of passive and active corruption. Other criminal proceedings are currently under way to clarify all aspects of the case. 

We remind that every person is presumed to be innocent until the final and irrevocable decision of the court is pronounced. 

The Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office is conducting the criminal investigation.