NAC Synthesis: Seizures of over 2 million lei, searches and convictions in corruption cases and the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of asset recovery

The National Anti-corruption Centre (NAC) has reported, for the past week, several actions in influence peddling and passive corruption cases. Thus, NAC officers have uncovered a systemic corruption scheme, involving two heads of the Florești District Hospital. The suspects allegedly acted in complicity with several people from the medical system whom they would have influenced to issue medical conclusions to determine the degrees of disability in the physical absence of the patients and would have issued patients with referral forms for medical examinations at certain private diagnostic centres, and for each examination they would have received from economic agents a commission of 15 percent per service provided. Over 20 searches were carried out at several addresses in Chisinau, Balti and Floresti, targeting medical institutions, medical diagnostic centres and pharmaceutical companies. A lawyer from Hincesti was also detained and placed in pre-trial detention for 30 days, suspected of demanding from a man, under investigation by law enforcement agencies, financial means not due to him, in a total amount of 16,500 euros, claiming that he would have influence over public figures and public dignitaries and that he could determine them to issue a favourable decision in his case.

Also last week, the Chisinau Court, Buiucani headquarters, pronounced sentences in two cases investigated by the NAC officers. In the first case, the court sentenced a lawyer from Chisinau to a fine of 300 thousand lei for influence peddling and ordered the deprivation of the right to practice law for a period of 4 years. In another case, a woman was sentenced to 6 years in prison and the confiscation of the amount of 964,139.20 lei for alleged influence peddling on prosecutors and judges. We note that at the moment, 19 people, arrested in the cases opened by the NAC, are placed in prisons. During the reference period, criminal investigation officers proposed 14 cases to prosecutors for resolution.

The Criminal Assets Recovery Agency (CARA) of the National Anti-corruption Centre (NAC) seized 8 assets worth over 2 million lei last week, based on the delegations of the General Territorial Directorate North (GTD North) of the NAC, the Calarasi Police Inspectorate and the Border Police General Inspectorate (IGPF) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. These include 2 residential and one non-residential premises, a residential building, a means of transport, 2 agricultural plots of land and one for construction. The assets were seized in a case of influence peddling, forced labour and the organization of illegal migration. At the same time, the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency (CARA) of the NAC and the Asset Recovery Committee (ARC) of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan signed a Memorandum of Partnership and Cooperation, thus strengthening joint efforts in the recovery of criminal assets.

In the field of corruption prevention, the Legislation Directorate finalized and submitted to the authors 11 expert reports on draft normative acts last week. During the mentioned period, 4 anti-corruption trainings were organized for 459 people. The NAC notifies the completion of 6 operational analyses, the issuance of 118 integrity records, the reception of 46 calls to the national Anti-Corruption Hotline and the registration of 1625 materials in the Centre’s Chancellery.