Former police officer, investigated by the NAC, convicted of alleged influence peddling against prosecutors and ordered to pay over 265,000 lei

The Chisinau Court, Buiucani headquarters, convicted a former employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) for committing influence peddling, investigated by officers of the National Anti-corruption Centre (NAC) and brought to trial by the Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office. The court ordered a fine of 150,000 lei, with the deprivation of the right to hold positions as an investigation officer within the MIA institutions for a period of 3 years and the special confiscation, for the benefit of the state, of the amount of over 115,000 lei, representing the equivalent of the monetary means resulting from the crime.

According to the indictment, during November - December 2019, under the pretext of influencing prosecutors within the Rîșcani Office of the Chișinău Municipal Prosecutor's Office, the defendant demanded and received from a citizen the sum of 6,000 euros. In exchange for the money, the defendant claimed that he could influence the prosecutor to adopt a favourable decision in a criminal case in which the person was suspected of illegal drug trafficking.

The trial lasted almost 4 years, the defendant pleaded not guilty during it, but the court assessed the evidence administered and established his guilt.

The sentence is subject to appeal to the Court of Appeal Centre within 15 days.

Note: The person accused of committing a crime shall be presumed innocent as long as his guilt is not established by a final court decision.