The NAC Synthesis: Corruption cases in the field of education, damage to the state budget and arrests in a new case of abuse involving police officers
The National Anti-corruption Centre (NAC) presents the main actions carried out in the previous week in the field of combating and preventing corruption, as well as the recovery of criminal assets. During the reporting period, criminal investigation actions aimed at combating corruption in several key areas, resulting in detentions, searches and the application of preventive arrest warrants.
Three police officers from the Botanica Police Station, previously detained in a corruption case and placed under house arrest, are being investigated in a new case of abuse of office, being suspected of having appropriated part of the money withdrawn from a person in their custody. The Chisinau District Court, Ciocana, accepted the prosecutors' request and issued 30-day pre-trial detention warrants on their behalf, with all three being transferred to Penitentiary 13.
In the field of education, alleged acts of corruption were investigated in the process of organizing and conducting the international Certiport exams, by fraudulently facilitating the obtaining of certificates. A teacher allegedly demanded, accepted and received, through intermediaries, monetary means from several pupils and students in exchange for guaranteeing the passing of the exams and obtaining the international certificates necessary for exemption from taking the baccalaureate exam in computer science. At the same time, searches were carried out in a case of passive corruption involving persons with management positions at the Comrat State University. The individuals concerned are suspected of having demanded and received undue financial means from students to facilitate their passing of assessments and exams, without actually attending classes and without properly taking academic tests.
The NAC officers also documented the criminal actions of an expert in periodic technical inspection from Vulcănești who, taking advantage of his position, allegedly appropriated the financial means paid by taxpayers for the road use tax, the estimated damage exceeding 600,000 lei.
During the reference period, the criminal investigation officers initiated 10 new criminal cases and proposed 13 files for prosecution. Currently, 3 people are placed in the criminal investigation isolator, and 7 people, accused in the files managed by the NAC, are placed in preventive detention in two penitentiary institutions.
The Criminal Assets Recovery Agency (CARA) seized 219 assets worth about 10 million lei and took over the administration of about 1.5 million lei. Other previously applied seizures, worth about 3.8 million lei, were confirmed by the courts. At the same time, an order was issued to freeze a bank account worth 450 thousand lei, and 1.4 million lei were transferred to the state budget.
In the field of corruption prevention, the NAC submitted 23 expert reports on draft normative acts to the authors. Also, 106 integrity records were issued, 2 operational analyses were conducted, and about 300 officials participated in anti-corruption training. The National Anti-corruption Line received 34 calls, and 1,670 materials were registered in the institution's office.