Two men, investigated by the NAC and APO, were sentenced to prison and the confiscation of 65,000 euros for influence peddling

The Chisinau Court, Buiucani headquarters, found two men guilty of committing the crime of influence peddling, committed in several episodes. One of the defendants was involved in six episodes, and the other in ten.

The court established prison sentences for both, through partial cumulation of the sentences. One of the defendants was sentenced to six years in prison, of which three years were suspended, on a probationary period of three years. The second received a sentence of seven years and six months in prison, of which three years and nine months were suspended, with the same probationary period. Both defendants were deprived of the right to carry out consultancy activities in the field of obtaining public documents issued by national and foreign authorities - the first for a period of four years, and the second for five years.

They were announced wanted, with a view to their detention and placement in a penitentiary institution. The court also ordered the confiscation of the equivalent of the illegally obtained amounts: 15,000 euros from the first defendant and 50,000 euros from the second, while maintaining the seizure of their assets.

According to the evidence accumulated by the Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office (APO) jointly with the National Anti-corruption Centre (NAC), presented and investigated in court, the two defendants between 2016 and 2018, claiming to citizens of the Russian Federation that they have influence over civil servants at the Romanian Consulate in Odessa (Ukraine) and at the National Authority for Citizenship in Bucharest, allegedly demanded and received 15,000 euros from each adult applicant and 7,000 euros from each child for the re-acquisition of Romanian citizenship. The money was intended to make them accept the submission of files for the re-acquisition of Romanian citizenship by Russian citizens, so that the files would be processed in a priority regime and not in the order of their registration, for the positive approval of the order granting Romanian citizenship and the unscheduled submission of the Oath of Allegiance to the Romanian State at the consular entity. An additional fee ranging from 1,500 to 1,700 euros was charged for taking the Oath out of turn.

One of the defendants was responsible for identifying potential clients and transmitting the necessary documents to the other defendant, who, in return, provided the alleged influence over consular officials. As a result of their actions, the defendants allegedly obtained illegal income of over 170,000 euros.

Although both denied the charges, the court, analysing the evidence administered in the case, established their guilt.
The sentence can be appealed to the Central Court of Appeal within 15 days.

Note: The person accused of committing a crime shall be presumed innocent as long as his guilt is not established by a final court decision.