In 2018 the government bought from public money 105 ambulances. Later the Anticorruption prosecutors investigated the correctness of the procurement procedures and the contracts of the questionable quality ambulances, detaining the former director of the National Center for Emergency Medical Assistance (CNAMUP) and one of his deputy directors. 

ZdG continued following the ambulance case where suspicious tenders took place, observing that last week the former head of CNAMUP regained his position. 

On December 30, 2015, Boris Golovin won in the contest for the position of CNAMUP director and was appointed to the position on the last day of the year. Although he won the contest for the position of CNAMUP director, Golovin chose to remain a deputy until the end of his term so, on January 27, 2016, he requested the suspension of the individual employment contract concluded with CNAMUP.

However, ZdG’s sources inside CNAMUP said that Boris Golovin, even though officially suspended from office, was de facto running the medical institution, coming almost every day to CNAMUP headquarters and giving directions to the interim director and deputy directors. 

At the same time, although he officially held the position of deputy, Boris Golovin participated in most public events organized by CNAMUP, such as the distribution of new ambulances or the cutting of ribbons for the opening of emergency medical assistance points in various localities.

The fact that the deputy Golovin held, concurrently, the position of CNAMUP director came to the attention of the National Integrity Commission after a complaint filed by Vladimir Voronin, deputy at that time. By an act dated April 28, 2016, the National Integrity Commission found that Boris Golovin violated the legal regime of incompatibilities. Not agreeing with this act, Golovin contested it in court. 

On December 2016, the Râșcani District Court in Chișinău, granted his request, canceling the act of findings of the National Integrity Commission. The dispute reached the Chișinău Court of Appeal, which, in June 2017, overturned the decision of the first court and declared legal the act of the National Integrity Commission, which found the violation of the legal regime of incompatibilities by Boris Golovin. The Supreme Court of Justice, however, issued a final conclusion in this case, and on November 1, 2017, annulled the decision of the Chișinău Court of Appeal, giving Golovin justice. 

In October 2019, Golovin along with one of his deputy directors, Oleg Barbă were arrested, being accused of exceeding their authority.

According to prosecutors, Boris Golovin, who was director of CNAMUP but suspended from office during the term of deputy mandate, gave instructions to Oleg Barbă, newly appointed interim director at CNAMUP, to sign the transfer of the last tranche of money, worth over 100,000 euros (2 million lei), to Autoritate Grup, although it did not deliver the ambulances on time, and the respective amount was to be withheld by the state as penalties for not respecting contractual obligations.

At the same time, Mihail Ivanov, the anticorruption prosecutor, stated that both Oleg Barbă and Boris Golovin are presumed innocent until the court decides on their cases.

Oleg Barbă, who was also detained in the case, was subsequently placed under house arrest after he, according to prosecutors, admitted his guilt.

Golovin attacked the order of the Ministry of Health on Suspension of Office, from October 10, 2019, winning the case. 

The court’s conclusion indicates that given that at the moment the criminal prosecution is in progress, and the order of suspension from office has been issued in accordance with the law, the one charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty, in the course of a public judicial process.

Thus, the court finds that the ground for suspension from office in this case could only be the sending to the court of the criminal file regarding the employee committing an offense incompatible with the work performed.

The current management of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection confirmed Golovin’s return to office.

• Backstage Purchases of Ambulances: Criminal Cases, Non-compliances and Political Affiliations