The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA) announces that criminal proceedings have been completed against nine persons who figure in the criminal case generically referred to as the “purchase of passport blanks”. They are a former chief and employees of the Public Services Agency (ASP). The separate criminal case against them has been sent to court with an indictment, the PA reports. According to anti-corruption prosecutors, two of these persons are subject to provisional release under judicial control and seven are subject to a preventive measure of an order not to leave the country.

“The damage caused as a result of the crime amounts to more than 817 million lei, and in this regard, seizure was applied to 38 real estate assets,” the PA announced.

The AP also notes that due to the non-appearance of several persons previously summoned to be recognized and heard as suspects/defendants in the criminal case concerning the purchase of passport blanks, anti-corruption prosecutors have taken the necessary measures provided for by law for such proceedings.

“The anti-corruption prosecutors have filed proceedings in court, where they requested the application of preventive measures in the form of preventive arrest in absentia for a period of 30 days against a public person within the Public Services Agency, as well as against 3 business representatives who were the actual beneficiaries of payments paid without justification, following the abusive conclusion of legal acts by the Public Services Agency, the successor entity to the “CRIS REGISTRU”

Thus, as a result of the examination of the applications submitted by the anti-corruption prosecutors, the magistrates of the Chisinau Ciocana Court issued preventive arrest warrants for the four persons concerned above, for a period of 30 days,” reports the PA

Anti-corruption prosecutors also note that given the transnational nature of the offences committed, the criminal proceedings against these persons and other accomplices will continue in order to administer all the evidence and hold all the persons involved in the commission of the offences responsible.

On 22 October 2021, the Prosecutor General’s Office (PG) opened criminal proceedings on the fact of abuse of office, committed for material interest by decision-makers in the ASP. Subsequently, on 5 April 2022, the AG opened another criminal case on the fact of abuse of office, committed in the interest of an “organised criminal group”. According to the PA, these criminal cases were joined into a single proceeding.

On 3 May 2022, anti-corruption prosecutors, together with officers from the Intelligence and Security Service (SIS), the National Anti-Corruption Centre (CNA) and the Internal Protection and Anti-Corruption Service of the Interior Ministry (MAI), carried out around 50 searches at the ASP in a criminal case for abuse of service concerning the white goods procurement process.

In 2021, Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița stated that she would submit to the Prosecutor General’s Office (PG) the report carried out by the control body on the tender of about 500 million lei for the purchase of blankets for identity documents, driving licenses and registration certificates, which was cancelled by the Public Services Agency (ASP). The Prime Minister said that “the dubious purchase was cancelled because it was organised with several misconduct”.

In September 2021, the Public Services Agency (ASP) cancelled the tender of about 500 million lei for the purchase of blanks for identity documents, driving licences and registration certificates “on the grounds that there were deviations from the legal provisions that made it impossible to conclude the contract”.