The NAC Synthesis: dozens of searches in amnesty case, arrests in a money laundering and smuggling case and seizures of 31 million lei on illicit assets
The National Anti-corruption Centre (NAC) announces several criminal prosecution actions carried out last week in cases targeting smuggling, money laundering, but also in a file known generically as the “Amnesty File”. At the same time, the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency (CARA) within the NAC reported the application of seizures on assets of illicit origin and the taking over of over half a million lei in administration.
Specifically, in the file regarding money laundering and smuggling, eight people were detained, and the illicit income obtained through the criminal scheme exceeds one million euros. According to the materials accumulated during the criminal investigation, the members of the group, including representatives of resident and non-resident companies, allegedly created and managed a well-structured criminal mechanism, specializing in the illegal introduction of state-of-the-art mobile phones into the Republic of Moldova and in the legalization of income obtained from their sale.
In the “Amnesty Case”, the NAC officers, prosecutors of the Anti-corruption Prosecutor’s Office and employees of the General Inspectorate of Police conducted searches in several penitentiaries, as well as in other locations throughout the country. The actions targeted alleged acts of active and passive corruption committed by persons involved in the process of implementing and applying the amnesty granted on the occasion of marking the 30th anniversary of the proclamation of the independence of the Republic of Moldova, as well as in the application of the provisions of Articles 91 and 92 of the Criminal Code.
According to preliminary data from the criminal investigation, the acts of corruption were allegedly committed including with the involvement of persons sentenced to prison, the ultimate goal being the release from detention of several persons sentenced to life imprisonment.
The CARA reported, for the previous week, the application of seizures on assets of illicit origin worth 31 million lei. Also, over half a million lei was taken into administration. During the reporting period, the Agency also issued freezing orders for six real estate assets.
During the reference period, criminal investigation officers initiated seven new criminal cases and submitted to prosecutors, with a proposal to send to trial, another nine files. Seven people were placed in the criminal detention centre, and 24 defendants in the files managed by the NAC are in preventive detention in penitentiary institutions.
In the field of corruption prevention, 25 expert reports and five opinions were submitted to the authors, 20 draft normative acts were received, and another 23 are in the process of being expertized. Also, approximately 600 people were trained in the field of anti-corruption during the reference period.