NAC Synthesis: Searches in a corruption case in the education system, sentences and cases sent to court and the taking over of over 82 000 dollars in crypto into administration

The National Anti-corruption Centre (NAC) carried out several actions in its areas of competence last week. 18 searches were carried out in a case aimed at rigging tenders in the education system. An employee of a municipal education department and the leaders of three high school, middle school and preschool institutions, as well as representatives of some economic agents, are being criminally investigated for arranging public procurement procedures in violation of the rules. Several procurement contracts were allegedly divided into smaller ones to evade legal procedures, and different commissions were charged from each contract, ranging between 10 and 15 percent of the amount.

In the fight against corruption, two criminal cases were also reported to have been sent to court – one concerning the illegal financing of a political party, and another concerning a case of influence peddling involving a bribe of 60 000 euros. A conviction was also pronounced in an electoral corruption case, investigated by the NAC and anti-corruption prosecutors, with the person being sentenced to 4 years in prison.

The NAC’s Criminal Assets Recovery Agency (CARA) seized assets of illicit origin worth 1.6 million lei and issued a freezing order for 135 000 lei. At the same time, various amounts of money, including crypto currencies, were taken into administration in a fraud case. Their equivalent at the time of the takeover is over 82 000 dollars.

In the area of corruption prevention, the NAC conducted training for 350 public agents, sent 9 expert reports on draft normative acts and an opinion to the authors. 124 integrity records were issued, 54 calls were received at the national anti-corruption hotline, and 1,625 materials were registered in the NAC’s Chancellery.