NAC Synthesis: Fines of over 7 million lei, searches and detentions in corruption cases and seizures of criminal assets worth about 1.2 million lei in the "INTERPOL" case

The National Anti-corruption Centre (NAC) has reported, for the past week, several actions in the direction of combating corruption in influence peddling and electoral corruption cases, criminal cases sent to court, convictions, but also seizures applied in high-profile cases. Thus, at the end of last week, the number of fines applied on the basis of reports received from the Police, regarding the finding of the contravention provided for in art. 47 first Contravention Code - "passive electoral corruption" exceeded 7.1 million lei. In the field of combating corruption, the NAC subdivisions reported the detention of a man from the north of the country, who allegedly claimed to have influence over officials of the Edinet Vehicle Registration and Driver Documentation Office and that he could induce them to favour a candidate in the practical and theoretical exams and to issue him a category "B" driving license in exchange for 1,600 euros. In another case, investigated by the NAC on the issuance of driving licenses in exchange for various amounts of money, the suspect allegedly demanded and received from 5,000 lei to 1,500 euros to induce public figures to favour some candidates in the exams for obtaining driving licenses. In another case, a man from the south of the country is suspected of having promised Moldovan citizens that he could ensure their crossing of the Moldovan-Romanian border with a biometric passport, issued by the authorities of the Republic of Moldova, even if they had violated the legal term of stay in the Schengen area. During the documentation, at least 30 episodes of the suspect's involvement in actions of claiming and receiving illicit remunerations for the purpose of organizing the unhindered crossing of the state border were established.

The NAC also has announced the referral to court by anti-corruption prosecutors of two criminal cases investigated by the NAC. In one case, two magistrates from the Chisinau District Court and one from the Chisinau Court of Appeal were involved, and in another case, seven people, including a former deputy director of the Material Reserves Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, were indicted for defrauding the state of approximately 4 million lei – money seized by the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency (CARA) of the National Anti-corruption Centre. Also, during the reporting period, a police officer from Hincesti was sentenced to 3 years in prison and a fine of 200,000 lei for passive corruption, in a case investigated by the NAC. During the reporting period, criminal investigation officers initiated 34 criminal cases and proposed 11 cases for prosecution.

The Criminal Assets Recovery Agency (CARA) of the National Anti-corruption Centre (NAC) seized assets worth approximately 600 thousand lei last week, based on the delegations of the General Directorate on Criminal Investigation of the National Anti-corruption Centre and the General Inspectorate of Border Police (IGPF) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. These include a residential room, 4 means of transport and a building plot, seized in a case of passive corruption, influence peddling and the organization of illegal migration. At the same time, seizures of 8 assets worth over 6.5 million lei were confirmed by court decisions. Also last week, the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency (CARA) of the NAC seized two cars worth approximately 1.2 million lei, within the criminal case "INTERPOL", managed by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. In total, in this case, the CARA seized assets worth over 11 million lei on the territory of the Republic of Moldova.

In the field of corruption prevention, the Legislation Directorate finalized and submitted to the authors 13 expert reports and 7 opinions on draft normative acts last week. During the mentioned period, 8 anti-corruption trainings were organized for 700 people. The NAC notifies the completion of 5 operational analyses, the issuance of 148 integrity records, the reception of 39 calls to the national anti-corruption hotline and the registration of 1986 materials in the Centre’s Chancellery.