Prosecutors requested the preventive arrest of four defendants in the case concerning acts of corruption and embezzlement of national and foreign funds intended for infrastructure projects. The hearings will be held today, February 25, in Balti.

At the same time, on February 24, an employee of the State Labour Inspectorate was detained. He is suspected of demanding and accepting 3,000 euros to cover up a work incident, resulting in the harm to an employee.

At the moment, in the present case:
• have the status of defendant – 5 people (the administrator and employees of an economic operator);
• suspect status – 3 people (1 employee of the State Labour Inspectorate and 2 mayors).

We remind that the NAC and prosecutors conducted searches and seizures of documents in several city halls in the centre, north and south of the country, as well as at the headquarters of an economic operator. The case concerns acts of corruption and embezzlement of national and foreign funds intended for infrastructure projects, financed from the National Fund for Regional and Local Development, through the National Office for Regional and Local Development (ONDRL), within the framework of the National Local Development Program "European Village" for the years 2024–2028 (edition II).

The criminal investigation in the case continues, and the persons concerned benefit from the presumption of innocence, according to the law.
 

Officers of the National Anti-corruption Centre (NAC), jointly with prosecutors and with the support of the Moldsilva Agency, are conducting criminal prosecution in a case of embezzlement of foreign assets, aimed at the fraudulent management of public funds allocated for the implementation of the "National Forest Expansion and Rehabilitation Program". The searches target decision-makers of the State Enterprise "Forestry Enterprise Iargara".

According to the case materials, in the period November 2024 - present, the director and the chief accountant, acting jointly and using the positions held, allegedly implemented a scheme of systematic embezzlement of financial means intended for afforestation works. The suspects allegedly organized fictitious employment for planting saplings and afforestation of land included in the program financed by the Ministry of Environment. The amounts were paid from the program budget, but the services were not provided in reality.

Field checks established the lack of afforestation works on an area of approximately 60 hectares, with the estimated damage amounting to approximately 4 million lei. Also, situations of using the company's assets for personal purposes were documented, with maintenance and repair expenses being borne by the company.

Following the searches carried out at the offices, homes and cars of the persons concerned, relevant evidence for the criminal case was seized. Investigations continue to establish all the circumstances and identify the persons involved.

We remind that any person is presumed innocent until a final and irrevocable court decision is rendered.
 

To implement the provisions of Parliament Decision no. 442 of 28.12.2023 on the approval of the National Integrity and Anti-Corruption Program for the years 2024–2028 and the Action Plan for the implementation of the National Integrity and Anti-Corruption Program for the years 2024-2028, the National Anti-corruption Centre is launching the extension of the competition for the selection of representatives of civil society and the private sector as members of the Monitoring Group of the National Integrity and Anti-Corruption Program for the years 2024-2028.

It is mentioned:

The monitoring group is established for the purpose of coordinating, evaluating and approving the implementation of the National Integrity and Anti-Corruption Program and the Action Plan for the years 2024–2028, approved by Parliament Decision No. 442 of 28.12.2023.

It is specified:

2 representatives of civil society in the field of anti-corruption and 2 representatives of the private sector will be selected in the monitoring group, according to the procedure established in the "Regulation on the selection of representatives of civil society in the field of anti-corruption and the private environment (associative) in the Monitoring Group of the National Integrity and Anti-Corruption Program for the years 2024-2028", approved by order of the director of the National Anti-corruption Centre No. 31/2024 (attached).

To participate in the competition for the selection of civil society representatives, candidates must meet the following conditions:

a. have at least 5 years of experience in the field of justice;

b. have a bachelor's degree or its equivalent;

c. have citizenship of the Republic of Moldova;

d. know the Romanian language;

e. have an impeccable reputation and be an active promoter of the field;

f. have no criminal record, including extinguished ones, or who has not been absolved of criminal liability or punishment, including through an act of amnesty or pardon;

g. not be deprived of the right to hold certain positions or exercise certain activities, as a main or complementary punishment, by a final court decision;

h. in respect of whom no violation of the legal regime of conflicts of interest, incompatibilities, restrictions and limitations has been established by a final act;

i. in respect of which there is no irrevocable court decision ordering the confiscation of unjustified assets;

j. is not and has not been a member of any political party in the last 2 years, nor has he/she carried out any political activity;

In order to participate in the competition for the selection of representatives of the private sector (associative), candidates must meet the following conditions:

a. have experience in the private sector for at least 5 years;

b. have a bachelor's degree or its equivalent;

c. have citizenship of the Republic of Moldova;

d. know the Romanian language;

e. have no criminal record, including extinguished ones, or who has not been absolved of criminal liability or punishment, including through an act of amnesty or pardon;

f. not be deprived of the right to hold certain positions or to exercise certain activities, as a main or complementary punishment, by a final court decision;

g. in respect of which no violation of the legal regime of conflicts of interest, incompatibilities, restrictions and limitations has been established by a final act;

h. in respect of which there is no irrevocable court decision ordering the confiscation of unjustified assets;

i. is not and has not been a member of any political party in the last 2 years, nor has he/she carried out any political activity;

Interested civil society representatives and private sector representatives are to submit the file to the headquarters of the National Anti-corruption Centre located at: Chisinau city, bd. Ştefan cel Mare și Sfînt 198, or by e-mail, to the email address: secretariat@cna.md - with the mention "Monitoring Group/sector ..." [name of organization] Competition".

The competition participation file includes:

a) the standard application for participation in the competition, according to Annex No. 1 of the announcement;

b) curriculum vitae, which will also include 2 reference persons;

c) copy of the identity card;

d) copy of the document

e) copy of the employment record, if the candidate has an employment record or other documents confirming experience in the field;

f) letter of intent, maximum 2 pages;

g) letter of recommendation from the non-profit organization of which he/she is a member or with which he/she collaborates or, as the case may be, from a higher education institution in which he/she works;

h) declaration on his/her own responsibility, according to annex no. 2 of the announcement;

i) agreement regarding the processing of personal data, according to annex no. 3 of the announcement.

The files for participation in the competition will be submitted up to 10.03.2026.

Monitoring Group Secretariat tel. 022 257 411

ANNEX:

1. Application for participation in the competition [ DOWNLOAD ]

2. Declaration on personal responsibility [DOWNLOAD ]

3. Agreement on the processing of personal data [DOWNLOAD]

4. Regulation on the selection of representatives of civil society in the field of anti-corruption and the private (associative) environment in the Monitoring Group of the National Integrity and Anti-Corruption Program for the years 2024-2028 [DOWNLOAD]

The National Anti-corruption Centre (NAC) and the Prosecutor's Office of Balti Municipality have informed about the conduct of extensive criminal investigation actions in a criminal case involving corruption and embezzlement of national and foreign funds intended for infrastructure projects. Today, the NAC officers and prosecutors conducted searches and seized documents in several city halls in the centre, north and south of the country, as well as at the headquarters of an economic operator. As part of the procedural measures taken, five people were detained for 72 hours and placed in solitary confinement.

The criminal case concerns the activity of the administrator and engineers of an economic operator, whose bids were designated winners following public procurement procedures organized by several city halls for the construction of water supply and sewage networks. The works were financed from the National Regional and Local Development Fund, through the National Office for Regional and Local Development (ONDRL), within the framework of the National Local Development Program "European Village" for the years 2024–2028 (edition II). According to the accumulated materials, the economic operator carried out works in localities in the districts of Soroca, Edineț, Glodeni, Sîngerei, Strășeni, Șoldănești, Căușeni and Taraclia. During the reception upon completion of the works and the final reception, the administrator and engineers allegedly promised and offered monetary means to the members of the reception committees, including employees of the National Inspectorate for Technical Supervision, site supervisors, designers, mayors and other specialists involved, in order not to record the existing non-conformities and to sign the reception documents, although multiple non-removed deviations were found.

Also, cases were documented regarding the fictitious inclusion in the execution documents of works that, in reality, were not carried out, the respective documents being presented for payment to the IP ONDRL. In another episode investigated, during the rehabilitation of a road affected by the construction works of the aqueduct, it was found that only 84 tons of asphalt were used out of the total required of 170 tons. At the same time, instead of the designed thickness of 10 cm, the asphalt layer was applied in a variable thickness of approximately 6–8 cm, contrary to the project documentation and technical construction regulations.

At the same time, a case was documented of the transfer of the amount of 3,500 euros by the administrator of the economic operator to a subordinate, who allegedly claimed to have influence over employees of the Territorial Labour Inspectorate, the Territorial Police Inspectorate and the Territorial Prosecutor's Office, in order to determine the non-initiation of criminal prosecution in a case regarding the violation of labour protection rules, resulting in the causing of an eye condition to an employee.

Criminal investigation actions are ongoing, and the persons concerned benefit from the presumption of innocence, according to the law.
 

The National Anti-corruption Centre (NAC) has informed about the main actions carried out in the previous week in the areas of preventing and combating corruption, as well as the recovery of criminal assets. During this period, the NAC detained a man red-handed suspected of having demanded and received 900 euros for the completion of a driving license. Holding the position of instructor at a driving school in Bălți, he allegedly claimed to have influence over some employees of the Vehicle Registration and Driver Documentation Office in Bălți and that he could determine them to organize the successful passing of the theoretical and practical test for the category B driving exam. The detention took place at the time of the transfer of the money, and following the body search, the financial means were seized, transferred under the control of anticorruption officers. At the moment, the accused is under arrest for 30 days.

During the week, 20 new criminal cases were initiated, and another 20 files were sent to trial. Currently, 2 people are in the NAC detention centre and 8 people detained in files managed by the NAC are in penitentiary institutions in preventive detention.

In the segment of recovering criminal assets, the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency (CARA) of the NAC applied seizures on 31 assets, totalling over 5.5 million lei. The assets were seized based on the delegations of the Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office and the Edineț and Strășeni Police Inspectorates, in files of abuse of power, money laundering, smuggling, management of a criminal organization, abuse of office, issuing a decision in violation of the law, making, possessing or using official documents and illegal drug trafficking. At the same time, seizures previously applied to assets estimated at over 7 million lei were confirmed by court decisions, and 440 thousand lei were taken over for administration.

In the field of corruption prevention, the NAC Legislation Department finalized and submitted to the authors 14 expert reports and 2 opinions on draft normative acts. Also, an operational analysis was finalized, 104 criminal records were released, and anti-corruption training was organized for 400 officials.

The National Anti-corruption Line received 49 calls, and 1,663 materials were registered in the NAC Chancellery.