The National Anti-corruption Centre (NAC) and the prosecutors of the municipality of Cahul have announced the detention in flagrante delicto of a man from Comrat in a case of influence peddling. He is suspected of demanding and accepting illicit remuneration in exchange for favouring a candidate in obtaining a driving license.

According to the accumulated materials, the suspect allegedly claimed that he has influence over the employees of the Comrat Vehicle Registration and Driver Documentation Office and over some managers within a driving school and that he can determine them to complete the category C school certificate, as well as to successfully take the driving exams. Thus, for the completion of the school certificate, the suspect allegedly demanded 7,500 lei, and for successfully taking the driving exams - 1,200 euros.

Following the whistleblowing filed with the NAC, a criminal case for influence peddling was initiated, in which the suspect's actions were documented, including the transmission of the alleged money under the control of the NAC. Today, he was detained in the act while receiving the last instalment, and the money was found and picked up in the immediate vicinity of the place of detention, after being thrown by the suspect into a ventilation hole of an apartment building.

The National Anti-corruption Centre (NAC) specifies that the detained person is being investigated as a defendant in two other cases initiated by the NAC for influence peddling in the issuance of driving licenses and for the illegal financing of a political party.

Currently, the criminal investigation is being conducted under the procedural leadership of the Cahul Municipal Prosecutor's Office. We remind that any person shall be presumed innocent until a final and irrevocable court decision is rendered.