A Ukrainian national who tried to bribe a border policeman to smuggle a minor out of the country without identity papers sentenced to three years in prison

A citizen of Ukraine, who promised and passed on to a Border Police employee $500 to allow a minor without any ID to be taken out of Moldova, was sentenced to three years in prison and fined 200,000 lei. The sentence was pronounced on 19 April 2023 by the Edinet Court, Central Headquarters, reports the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA).

The criminal case, which concerns the actions of the person accused of active bribery, was initiated in December 2022, by the Northern Territorial General Directorate of the National Anti-Corruption Centre (CNA) and was investigated on the basis of a complaint of the border police collaborator.

“According to the materials, the Ukrainian citizen together with a person, unidentified by the prosecution body, promised and transmitted to a Border Police employee, 500 US dollars to allow the removal from the Republic of Moldova of a minor without any identity documents. Both the prosecution in the present criminal case and the trial of the case lasted 3 months, with the defendant admitting her guilt during the judicial investigation.

By a judgment of 19 April 2023, the court found the defendant guilty of committing active corruption, sentencing her to 3 (three) years’ imprisonment in a women’s penitentiary and a fine of 200,000 lei,” according to the AP.

The preventive measure in the form of pre-trial detention imposed on her was maintained until the sentence becomes final. At the same time, it was ordered to confiscate from the person’s account for the benefit of the state the funds in the amount of USD 500 and the mobile phone model iPhone 8.

The sentence can be appealed to the Balti Court of Appeal within 15 days, say anti-corruption prosecutors.