Synthesis of the week: Corruption schemes in the road sector with millions of damages to the public budget, decision-makers and other important subjects, targeted in corruption acts – in the sights of the NAC

The National Anti-corruption Centre (NAC) announces the synthesis of the activities carried out during the previous week. Thus, anti-corruption officers carried out searches and detained several people in criminal cases targeting corruption acts. In one case, the NAC and PCCOCS carried out 53 searches throughout the territory of the Republic of Moldova, within criminal cases initiated on the grounds of embezzlement of foreign assets and money laundering. Decision-makers from the state-owned enterprises S.A. „Drumuri-Criuleni”, S.A. „Drumuri-Cimișlia” and S.A. “Drumuri -Căușeni” are suspected of having, as public figures and members of the working groups responsible for the supervision and final reception of road rehabilitation works, implemented a criminal scheme to defraud the public budget. They allegedly systematically demanded, accepted and received undue financial means from various economic agents, in exchange for favouring them in the process of executing public works.

Also last week, several individuals, including a mayor, a lawyer, an economic agent and a civil servant, came under the NAC’s sights and were investigated for demanding a bribe worth 12 million lei. They allegedly intervened in the public procurement process, designating a recently established commercial company as the winner. In exchange for an amount of 12 million lei, the group was willing to sell this company, along with the rights to the won tender, or to sign a subcontract. In the same criminal case, it was established that the suspects allegedly demanded and received percentages from the sale of mineral deposits, reducing the market price under the pretext of influencing decision-makers within the Cosăuți City Hall to issue permissive documents in favour of a local economic agent. To cancel the initial auction and designate another winner, they allegedly demanded a bribe worth 500,000 lei. In another case, a lawyer was detained for allegedly demanding and receiving 50,000 euros to influence a court decision in a civil dispute of almost 3 million lei. During the reporting period, the CNA criminal investigation officers initiated 7 cases and proposed 23 criminal cases for resolution. Eight people were placed in the CNA isolator, following last week's raids. and 3 defendants, targeted in the Centre’s files, are detained in penitentiary institutions.

At the same time, the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency (CARA) of the NAC seized assets of illicit origin worth a total of approximately 2.2 million lei, as part of ongoing investigations. These include 4 means of transport, 2 residential premises, a residential building, 5 agricultural lands, a building plot and a bank account.

In the field of corruption prevention, the Legislation Directorate finalized and submitted to the authors 10 expert reports and 2 opinions on draft normative acts, last week. At the same time, anti-corruption trainings were organized for approximately 180 people and 3 operational analyses were conducted.

Also, during the mentioned period, 1518 materials were registered in the NAC Chancellery, 98 integrity records were issued and 54 calls were received at the National Anti-corruption Hotline - 0 800 55555.