A police officer from Hîncești, sentenced to 3 years in prison and a fine of 200,000 lei for passive corruption, in a case investigated by NAC

Chisinau District Court, Buiucani headquarters, convicted a senior sector officer from the Hîncești Police Inspectorate of the General Police Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for committing the crime of passive corruption. The criminal case was started in October 2022 by the National Anti-corruption Centre (NAC), based on a complaint, the prosecution being led by the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office. The policeman was detained at the time of receiving the money, under the control of the NAC’s criminal investigation body.

During the criminal investigation, it was established that in October 2022, the policeman, working within the Hîncești Police Inspectorate, having under examination a criminal case regarding drink-driving and driving without a driver's license, as well as the materials of a trial contravention for allowing the use of the vehicle by a person without a permit, requested the sum of 750 euros from the person investigated in that file (approximately 14,321 lei). This amount was requested by the police officer in order not to impose a fine on the owner of the car, considering that the vehicle did not belong to the person under investigation, but to someone else.

The prosecution lasted two months, and the trial lasted almost two years, with the defendant avoiding appearing at court hearings and being wanted, although, at the prosecution stage, he admitted his guilt.

The court found the defendant guilty of committing the crime of passive corruption and sentenced him to 3 years in prison, to be served in a semi-closed penitentiary, and a fine of 200,000 lei, with the deprivation of the right to hold public positions or of public dignity for a period of 5 years.

Until the finalization of the sentence, the convict remained under the preventive measure of arrest, being still wanted by the authorities. The sum of 750 euros, recognized as a criminal offense, was transferred to the state.

The sentence can be appealed to the Chisinau Court of Appeal within 15 days.

Note: A person accused of committing a crime shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty by a final court decision.