Representatives of the National Anticorruption Center announce that Serghei Afanasenco, former Minister of Youth and Sports, is being investigated by the institution and the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office in the 200,000 euro bribe case, which investigates the former director of the Sports Center for National Team Preparation.

According to Anticorruption Center, the former Minister of Youth and Sports, Serghei Afanasenco, is under criminal investigation in the case of the 200,000 euro bribe, in which he is suspected of passive corruption in particularly large proportions. It is about the case that includes the former director of the Sports Center for the Preparation of National Teams, Roman Ostapenco, who was detained a few days ago by the Anticorruption Center and anti-corruption prosecutors for a fraudulent contract regarding a public land that was to enter in the possession of a private company.

During the investigations, it was found that the former leader of the Sports Center for the Preparation of National Teams, Roman Ostapenco, allegedly acted in complicity with the former Minister of Youth and Sports, and the money was divided. In fact, the amount of 200,000 euros was allegedly transferred for the commissioning of a plot of land on 72/2 Decebal Street, which belonged to the Sports Center and the Ministry of Sports, with its subsequent transfer to private ownership. In order to complete the necessary documents, the head of the Roman Ostapenco allegedly asked for 200,000 euros, money that he would have received from the whistleblower right in his office. Although the legislation expressly stipulates that public lands cannot be alienated, the official would have agreed to conclude this contract and help the private company to take possession of the land.

The National Anticorruption Center representatives claim that the crime was committed in 2015, during the period when the suspects held the positions of head of the Sports Center for the Preparation of National Teams and Minister of Youth and Sports. Based on the accumulated materials, the Anticorruption Center officers and prosecutors ordered several criminal prosecution and investigation actions.

Serghei Afanasen faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. He is currently being investigated at large.

Any person is presumed to be innocent until a final and irrevocable court decision is handed down.