Company administrator sentenced to 2 years in prison and confiscation of 1.46 million lei in a money laundering case investigated by the National Anti-corruption Centre

The Chisinau Court, Buiucani, found the administrator of a company guilty of complicity in the commission of the crime of money laundering. The court ordered a 4-year prison sentence, 2 years of which will be served in reality, the court applying the preventive measure of preventive arrest until the sentence becomes final. At the same time, the special confiscation of the equivalent value of the money resulting from the commission of the crime, in the amount of 1,460,660 lei, was ordered. The case was investigated by the National Anti-corruption Centre (NAC) and proposed for trial by the Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office (AP).

The criminal case was disjoined in 2023, from another criminal case in which the criminal prosecution was suspended, and according to the evidence presented in court, during the period 19 – 28 December 2011, the defendant, acting as administrator of a company, in co-participation with its beneficial owner and other persons, fraudulently acquired from “Banca de Economii” SA, funds in the form of a loan in the amount of 4,400,000 lei.

In order to disguise the illicit origin of the money, 1,200,000 lei were transferred to the account of a company based on a fictitious contract. Subsequently, the respective company, with the same purpose and means, transferred 1,144,000 lei to the account of the company whose administrator was the defendant. During the same period, according to financial transactions, the company's account also received funds in the amount of 323,000 lei and on the same day, the amount of 1,460,660 lei was withdrawn in cash.

The trial of the case lasted 1 year and 3 months, with the defendant pleading guilty. The court ordered the application of the preventive measure - preventive arrest until the sentence becomes final. At the same time, in order to guarantee special confiscation, the seizure of the defendant's assets was maintained.

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

Note: The person accused of committing a crime shall be presumed innocent as long as his guilt is not established by a final court decision.