NAC Synthesis: Searches in systemic corruption cases, prison sentences in cases managed by anti-corruption officers and seizures of assets worth approximately 1.7 million lei

The National Anti-corruption Centre (NAC) has reported several activities on the component of combating and preventing corruption, carried out last week. Two convictions were pronounced in cases processed by the NAC and prosecutors with the application of prison sentences and the maintenance of seizures made by the NAC's Criminal Assets Recovery Agency (CARA). In one case, a cadastral engineer from the Public Services Agency (PSA) was sentenced to 5 years in prison, the CARA findings serving as the basis for the confiscation of assets worth 5 million lei. In another criminal case, a former mayor and the administrator of a private company were sentenced to 7 and 8 years in prison, respectively, and the seizure of 940 000 lei, applied by the CARA, was maintained by the court.

During the reporting period, an employee of the Customs Service, responsible for customs clearance of goods through the internal customs post "Poșta", and a customs broker were detained in a systemic corruption case. According to the investigation, the customs broker allegedly demanded and systematically received undue money in proportions exceeding 100 conventional units. At the same time, two cases of influence peddling in the issuance of driving licenses were documented by anti-corruption officers and prosecutors. The first case concerns a resident of Strașeni district who allegedly demanded 3,000 euros for the issuance of a license. In the second case, a man from Chisinau allegedly claimed and received 1200 euros for similar actions. We note that, at the moment, 9 people, targeted in the Centre’s cases, are arrested and detained in penitentiary institutions in the municipalities of Chisinau and Balti. During the reporting period, the criminal investigation officers of the CNA sent 11 criminal cases to prosecutors for resolution, and another 15 cases were initiated.

The Criminal Assets Recovery Agency (CARA) of the NAC announces the seizure of illicit assets worth about 1 million lei. These were frozen based on the delegations of the Bender Police Inspectorate, the General Inspectorate of Border Police (GPBP) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Anenii Noi Prosecutor's Office. These include 2 means of transport, a residential room and a bank account, seized in a case of escape from places of detention and the organization of illegal migration. At the same time, the previously applied seizures, worth over 700 000 lei, were confirmed by court decisions.

In the field of corruption prevention, the NAC notifies the completion of 7 expert reports on legislation, receiving another 16 projects to be subject to expert review, 5 anti-corruption trainings for public agents were organized, 4 operational analyses were conducted and 64 integrity records were released. The National Anti-corruption Hotline received 46 calls, and 1244 materials were registered in the NAC Chancellery.