The Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office has announced the completion of the criminal investigation and the referral to the court of the criminal case accusing a lawyer from Chisinau, being charged with the crime of influence peddling (art. 326 para. (2) letter d) from the Criminal Code).

The criminal investigation was started in February 2023, by the National Anticorruption Center based on a whistleblowing.

According to the whistleblower and the results of the criminal investigation and the special investigative measures carried out on the respective criminal case, it was established that, in the period 2020-2021, the accused claimed and received cash in the amount of 8,000 euros from the whistleblower, in order to influence public persons from the Rîșcani Police Inspectorate of the DP Chisinau Municipality and persons with public dignity from the Chisinau Municipal Prosecutor's Office, Rîșcani Office, in order to induce them to adopt a favorable solution on the facts investigated regarding the whistleblower in the criminal case that it concerns the falsification of documents and the illegal acquisition of a car. As a result, the criminal prosecution was terminated due to the intervention of the limitation period for prosecution.

Later, under the pretext of influencing the prosecutor not to resume the criminal investigation, the accused also claimed and received 1,000 euros, including other funds destined directly to the chief prosecutor of the Chisinau Municipal Prosecutor's Office, Rîscani office, their transmission being carried out under the control of the NAC officers. Over a period of time, he returned the money claimed and received in the amount of 1,200 euros, being unable to exercise the promised influence.

The accused admitted the guilt in part, and the criminal case was sent for substantive examination to the Chisinau Court, Buiucani headquarters.

For the crime committed, the law provides a penalty in the form of a fine ranging from 150,000 to 200,000 lei or imprisonment from 2 to 7 years.

Note: A person accused of committing a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a final court decision.