BEM case: Two individuals, investigated by the NAC and AP, were sentenced for fraud and money laundering to 15 and, respectively, 8 years and 6 months in prison and ordered to pay approximately 85 million lei

The Chisinau Court, Buiucani headquarters, found two administrators guilty of committing fraud and money laundering crimes in particularly large proportions. The court sentenced one of them to 15 years in prison, and the second to 8 years and 6 months in prison. Both were deprived of the right to hold positions related to the management and administration of material assets for a period of 5 years. The sentence is to be implemented after the sentence becomes final.

At the same time, the civil action filed by the representative of SA "Banca de Economii" was partially admitted, ordering the collection of damages in the amount of 73,727,733.87 lei from the account of one defendant and jointly and severally from the account of both defendants the amount of 10,924,396.82 lei.

The nominated case was disjoined from the primary criminal case in 2023, being referred to justice in May 2024. According to the evidence presented in court, accumulated by the National Anti-corruption Centre and the Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office, one of the defendants, being the administrator of a company from the Republic of Moldova, together with the decision-makers of a non-resident company from the Republic of Panama, allegedly orchestrated a scheme to fraudulently appropriate loans from BC "Banca de Economii" S.A. Thus, the defendant allegedly presented false information regarding his company's turnover and obtained a loan of 1,500,000 euros from the banking institution. On the day the money was received, it was transferred to the account of the non-resident company and appropriated by the defendant and other persons.

Subsequently, 2 other companies were created, in the names of other persons, and in the same way over 2.8 million euros were obtained. The second defendant was one of the persons in whose name one of the 2 companies was opened, through which 500,000 euros were fraudulently obtained and laundered.

Although they denied committing the acts throughout the examination of the case, the court assessed the evidence administered and established their guilt in committing the incriminated crime.

The sentence can be appealed to the Central Court of Appeal within 15 days.

Note: A person accused of committing a crime shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty by a final court decision.