NAC Synthesis: Around 9 million lei in cryptocurrency detected in an illegal financing scheme for political parties, searches, convictions and seizures of 1.4 million applied by CARA
The National Anti-corruption Centre (NAC) has presented the weekly balance of the activities carried out in the fields of combating and preventing corruption, as well as on the recovery of assets derived from crimes. During the reference period, the NAC carried out searches in Chisinau, Orhei, Glodeni, Dondușeni, Criuleni and other localities in cases of voter corruption, illegal financing of political parties and money laundering jointly with the Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office, the Chisinau Municipal Prosecutor's Office and the Balti Municipal Prosecutor's Office. The searches with major impact targeted a scheme of illegal financing of political parties through cryptocurrencies originating from the Russian Federation. In this case, about 9 million lei in cryptocurrency, over 800 thousand lei in cash and one person was detained. Following the searches carried out in the remaining cases of electoral corruption, illegal financing of political parties and money laundering, parallel accounting documents, electronic information storage devices, as well as other evidence relevant to the investigation of the cases were seized, and criminal prosecution actions are ongoing.
Also, the Chisinau Court, Buiucani headquarters, pronounced several convictions in files investigated by the NAC. Thus, a man was sentenced to 5 years in prison for illegal financing of a political party and about 5.2 million lei are to be transferred to the state. The president of the Ocnița Territorial Office of a former political party was sentenced to 4 years in prison, the presidents of the Dondușeni and Fălești Territorial Offices of a former political party were sentenced to 4 years in prison. At the same time, the secretary of the Rîșcani territorial organization of a political party was sent to trial for complicity in the illegal financing of the party. In addition, a former deputy mayor of the Chișinău municipality was sentenced to 3 years in prison for passive corruption, forgery of public documents, influence peddling and active corruption.
The Criminal Assets Recovery Agency (CARA) applied seizures on assets worth over 1.4 million lei. At the same time, previously applied seizures worth about 4.3 million lei were confirmed by court decisions.
During the reporting period, the criminal investigation officers of the CNA initiated 13 files. At the moment, 3 people are in the NAC detention centre, and 20 people, targeted in the Centre’s files, are detained in penitentiary institutions, being preventively arrested.
In the field of corruption prevention, the Legislation Directorate submitted 16 legislative expertise reports and 5 opinions to the authors. At the same time, 82 integrity records were issued, 3 operational analyses were conducted, and 94 calls were received at the National Anti-corruption Line. 1618 materials were registered in the institution's Chancellery.