The Southern Office of the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office has announced the completion of the criminal investigation and referral to the court for examination of the public persons within the Cahul District Council and of the administrators of some companies, being charged with the crime of exceeding the duties of the service (art. 327 paragraph (2) letter b), b1) of the Criminal Code).

The criminal investigation was started in February 2022 by the General Territorial Directorate South of the National Anticorruption Center based on the self-referral report, and other criminal cases were subsequently started and connected.

Following the criminal investigation, it was found that public persons from the Cahul District Council, acting in complicity with an economic agent, in the period from November to December 2021, admitted the non-execution of current repair works and services, maintenance and routine of the roads in Cahul district by the economic agent, which were to be finished by the end of 2021.

They also, knowing with certainty that the mentioned works and services were not executed in any form, illegally signed the minutes of final reception of the works, a fact that illegally allowed the transfer of the amount of 1,034,633 lei to the company's account, causing the budget of the Cahul District Council a considerable damage in the total amount of 1 034 633 lei.

At the same time, the accused, pursuing the purpose of illegally acquiring public goods and using financial means from the state budget, by organizing a fictitious tender, between January and March 2022, acted intentionally in the interests of economic agents, so that their offer was designated as the most advantageous.

Consequently, the economic agents, being complicit in the commission of the crime, knowing in advance with certainty that they will be designated winners of the fictitious tender, initiated the execution of the repair works in the mandatory absence of the procurement contract for the execution of the works - works that were not carried out according to the requirements set out in the specifications.

Thus, a material damage was caused to the Cahul District Council in the total amount of 1,422,789.65 lei.

The accused did not admit their guilt, and the criminal case was sent for examination to the Cahul Court, Central headquarters.

For the crime committed, the law provides for the punishment in the form of a fine ranging from 67,500 to 117,500 lei or imprisonment from 2 to 7 years, in both cases with the deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or to exercise a certain activity for the term from 5 to 10 years.

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