National Authority for Integrity issued a note concluding that mayor Svetlana Racul infringed the law on conflicts of interest by concluding contracts with family members.

In January 2016, Svetlana Racul, the mayor of Boșcana village, Criuleni district, the central part of Moldova, allegedly concluded several contracts with her husband. Racul concluded the contracts while holding the office of Boșcana’s mayor. The contracts were about the use of a car, owned by her husband, a fact confirmed by the materials in the case.

According to the document, although the car was used free of charge, financial means were used from the mayor’s office for its maintenance and repair. For this purpose, in the period 2016-2019 – a series of payments were issued by the Town Hall, whose estimated value ranged between 7 and 500 euros (150 lei and 10,000 lei). The money was spent on car repairs, fuel procurement, insurance payments, and payment of tolls.

In April 2016, the mayor allegedly admitted a conflict of interest with her son, with whom she signed a contract for the purchase of low-value services, but soon the mayor terminated the contract, on the grounds that she would understand the conflict of interest in which she was involved. However, this action does not relieve the local elected official of legal liability.

As a result of these actions, the integrity inspector established that Racul, acting as mayor, having a personal interest resulting from her relations with close people – husband and son, violated the law regarding conflicts of interest, by failing to declare within the legal deadline the conflicts of interest in which she was, by admitting their consumption, by concluding/signing an administrative and legal paper with her close people.

If the document issued by the National Authority for Integrity remains final,  the integrity inspector will notify the competent authority for the dismissal of the current mayor.

According to the law, the mayor will be barred from holding a public office or high-ranking position in public institutions, and the mandate of mayor for a period of 3 years. It could also be included in the National Authority for Integrity  Prohibition Register.

The finding can be challenged in court.