For four decades, Andrei Ilescu has lived in Bubuieci commune. For 12 years, he was a councillor in the Bubuieci local council. His work at local level has given him an insight into the situation of the commune. “The former “Chișinevschii” sovhoz had vineyards, orchards, farmland and 28 ha of greenhouses, which produced vegetables to supply several localities in the region. The material assets on these 28 ha constituted tens of millions of lei – the reconstitution value, but the estimated value remained 17 million lei”, writes Andrei Ilescu in a letter repeatedly addressed to the state authorities, but also to ZdG.

“Until 2000, all the material goods on the 28 hectares were stolen and disposed of in the presence of the police officers who were active at the time, without any action being taken to detect the violations,” Ilescu explains, adding that all the frauds would have taken place at the behest of the representatives of the public authorities at the time. The petition addressed to investigative institutions and state authorities contains the names and positions of those suspected of having dispossessed the household of material goods.

“After stealing all the best, the town hall headed by the former mayor decided to privatize the former “Bubuieci” Agricultural Farm, within the framework of the National Program “Land”. Article 12 of the Land Code states that up to 5% of the land used for agricultural purposes would be allocated to the social development needs of the locality, and the difference between the total area of the territorial administrative unit and the area of land allocated to public ownership constitutes the privatisation fund. In 1997, the “Tivit” PSSA transferred 950 ha of historical territories to the former “Bubuieci” Agricultural Farm. From the 950 ha we exclude the 5% reserve and 905 ha remain in the privatization fund. By order of the mayor’s office of 24 June 2000, the mayor included these 28 ha of greenhouses in the reserve fund, in violation of Article 12 of the Land Code. The situation has been blocked because of the fact that the wife of the former Bubuieci policeman is currently working as a senior prosecutor at the Ciocana Prosecutor’s Office…

In 1999, lists were drawn up of those entitled to the equivalent share of land and the value share under Articles 12, 33, 34, 36 of the Land Code. The lists also included persons who were not entitled to the quota. In 1999-2003, I worked as a councillor of the Bubuieci local council. I was aware of these serious violations and at the meeting of the local council I insisted on an inventory, including all material goods subject to privatization. The proposal was supported by all the councillors present at the meeting. Thus, by a provision of Mayor Ion Șatanuț “On the formation of the commission for the inventory of the assets subject to privatization under the administration of the Bubuieci Agricultural Household”, the commission was formed, and I was appointed chairman. However, the commission also included people who stole most of the former heritage of the 28 hectares of greenhouses. A few days later, the mayor told me to sign a deed of valuation of the categories of fixed assets and non-material assets of GAS “Bubuieci”, dated 01.11.1999, i.e. one month before I was appointed as head of the commission. The deed did not even include 10 kg of scrap metal from the 17 million lei from 28 ha of greenhouses. For this reason, I refused to sign the forged deed.

However, the town hall, together with the privatization commission, violated the Land Code and carried out the “privatization”. Under those conditions, I had to found a Peasant Household. After having collected proxies from 73 sharecroppers, we set out to consolidate the farmland and form a strong agricultural association, involving the sharecroppers in the work. Thus, on 20.03.2000, the peasant farm “Andrei Ilescu” was officially registered.

At the competition of 5 June 2000, the privatization commission refused to register two powers of attorney signed by 27 quotaholders (in the amount of 39,388 lei), so that we would not exceed the amount accumulated by the other competitor in obtaining the carpentry section in which I had worked for many years, at that time being the only leader who claimed this object.

After the competition, my opponent illegally received the territory of the carpentry section with all the functioning material goods. Also there was a large amount of materials, demolished from the 28 ha of greenhouses. The territory of the carpentry section constituted 1.34 ha, but the town hall asked him to pay for only 0.642 ha, i.e. 0.698 ha less than the actual area.

In 2000, with the members of my household, I sowed 87 ha with buckwheat, I received 5600 kg of “Super-Elite” buckwheat seeds from the factory in Soroca, with which I had signed a legal contract. The year 2000 was dry, but because the seeds were of good quality, the fruit was rich. For harvesting, I brought a special combine from Colonița, but my buckwheat harvest stayed in the field until the end of October because, at the order of the mayor at the time, the combine was hidden in a foreign territory so that I could not gather the fruit. When I found the combine with difficulty, I only managed to harvest the fruit from 5 ha, because the rains started and the buckwheat sprouted in the furrow. Because of this, I owed the Soroca factory 17 tonnes of buckwheat, and I also owed the quotaholders. We lost over 200 tonnes of buckwheat. At that time, I turned to the Police Inspectorate and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, but the answers I received were identical – the elements of the crime were not present.

In the case of several plots of land, their use was fraudulently changed from agricultural land to building land

Since 2001, the town hall has kept changing the leaders of the farm household, disregarding the law which says that leaders are elected. At the same time, several plots of land have been fraudulently changed from agricultural land to construction land, becoming real sources of enrichment for several local officials and leaders.

Personally, I have applied to the CNA to examine the matter on the spot. Vasile Gangan came to the site and I explained all the shortcomings and showed him that there are many plots of land illegally allocated to officials, whether they are police officers or tax collectors, on this massif.

The CNA replied that, since no circumstances requiring the Centre’s intervention were found, the administrative procedure was completed without the initiation of contravention or criminal proceedings.

I appealed to several institutions, asking for justice to be done and for us, the quota-holders who are still alive, to have the right to value quotas. But the more I insisted, the more I was hindered, blackmailed, threatened and even criminally investigated for false actions.

I also appealed to the Moldovan Parliament and asked the Court of Auditors to carry out an audit. I also attended the meeting of the Court of Auditors where it was announced that, out of 905 hectares of the privatisation fund, 36 hectares had been stolen. Other serious violations were revealed at that time. The decision of the Court of Auditors was handed over to the General Prosecutor’s Office with all the control materials. A criminal case was also filed, which the Ciocana District Prosecutor’s Office subsequently closed, citing various reasons.

All my addresses to the NAC and other legal institutions are answered that the problems I raise are not within their competence. But whose competence should it be, if Moldova does not have other institutions of law?

Recently, I have also addressed the head of state, asking for her involvement as guarantor of the Constitution.”

PS: I have detailed information that can help law enforcement bodies to uncover and punish the corruption that has been thriving for decades in Bubuieci commune.