Roman Statnîi, a former prosecutor from the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office has been charged with fraud and excess of power, committed in the interest of an organized criminal group. Statnîi is suspected of extorting and blackmailing Evgheni Kheyman, a Russian businessman who was running the Natur Bravo cannery factory in Moldova.

According to prosecutors, Statnîi started a criminal case against Kheyman in 2018. Statnîi entered into possession of Kheyman’s assets worth €1.8 million after he managed to convince Kheyman that he could help him solve his case.

Last year, Kheyman claimed that Statnîi allegedly fabricated his case under the command of Vladimir Plahotniuc, the country’s former ruling oligarch. Kheyman also stated that Statnîi coerced him to transfer the property rights of his goods. Previously, ZdG wrote that in 2018 Statnîi and his family received generous donations worth around 28,000 euros (540,000 lei) that twice exceeded his salary.

On May 18, the prosecutors detained a former Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office, Roman Statnîi, charging him with fraud and excess of power, committed in the interest of an organized criminal group.  

Evghenii Kheyman is a Russian citizen and a member of the Economic Council under Moldova’s President Igor Dodon. Last year, Kheyman claimed that Statnîi allegedly fabricated in 2018 the criminal case under the command of the former General Prosecutor, Eduard Harunjen, and Vladimir Plahotniuc, the country’s tycoon. 

Kheyman claimed in his complaint that he was threatened by Statnîi and forced to turn over his assets worth €1.8 million. Kheyman stated that he transferred several of his goods into the property of different persons. After that, he was fined 5,000 euros and returned to Russia.

Later on, Statnîi challenged the decision at the Chișinău Court of Appeal, and Muhamed Galaev, who took over his position, allegedly asked for another 85,000 euros, but Keyman refused to give. Consequently, the Chișinău Court of Appeal sentenced him to three years in prison.

Statnîi admitted that he had handled the Keyman case, but denied the allegations of blackmail and extortion.

Viorel Morari former head of the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office stated, for Anticoruptie.md portal, that Statnîi’s detention would be a fight from some decision-makers from the General Prosecutor’s Office.

In 2018, the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office opened a criminal case against the head of Natur Bravo company, Evgheni Kheyman, and under the pretext of helping the head of Natur Bravo company, the prosecutors came into possession of practically all the properties belonging to Natu Bravo worth more than €1.8 million.

Specifically, it is about:

• an apartment in London (UK) worth €1.2 million;

• real estate in the Krasnodar city, Russia, estimated at €130,000 euros;

• 120,000 euros – sent in several installments;

• 365,000 euros – transferred from his bank accounts in Switzerland to another accounts, which later ended up in a bank on the left bank of the Nistru river.

All the properties were transferred while the Russian citizen was in pre-trial detention in Chișinău. All the negotiations to transfer the property rights on the respective goods were carried out and signed both inside the Chișinău Court, Buiucani headquarters, and in the offices of the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutor Roman Stanîi resigned from the system in February 2020. ZdG previously wrote that Roman Statnîi is receives generous donations. In 2018, Statnîi claimed that he received a donation worth over 2,000 euros (40,000 lei) from his mother, Iulia Statnîi, over 3,000 euros (60,000 lei) from his father, Petru Statnîi, and other 2,500 euros (50,000 lei) from his brother, Igor Statnîi.

The family also received a donation of over 17,000 euros (330,000 lei) from Statnîi’s in-laws, Elena Bordianu and Ilie Postanciuc. Statnîi donated to his family over 1,500 euros (30,000 lei) and Statnîi’s father donated other 1,500 euros (30,000 lei). 

The Statnîi family reported donations amounting to around 28,000 euros (540,000 lei) during 2018. The donations received by him exceeded twice his income from the prosecutor’s salary.

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