Former MEC state secretary risks losing over 2 million lei – unjustified wealth
The special-status official of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI), former Secretary of State of the Ministry of Education and Research (MEC), Ivan Gheorghiu and his family own over two million lei – unjustified wealth. More specifically, the National Integrity Authority (ANI) found the existence of a substantial difference in the amount of 2,184,037 lei, i.e. about 288 average salaries per economy, between the wealth acquired and the income obtained by Gheorghiu, his wife and two minor children, during the period October 2018-October 2021.
The control of the wealth and personal interests of former Secretary of State Ivan Gheorghiu took place on the basis of a complaint registered by ANI in September 2021.
According to the complaint: the petitioner requests the examination of the declarations of assets and interests submitted by Ivan Gheorghiu for the year 2018 as head of department at the Academy “Stefan cel Mare” of MAI, for 2019 and 2020 as secretary of state in MECC. From the mentioned statements the petitioner noted that in the declaration for 2018 is indicated in chapter III real estate, subchapter B, an apartment with the year of acquisition 2001, which is no longer listed in subsequent years. On the other hand, in the declaration for the year 2019 another apartment with the year of acquisition 2019 is indicated, to which another apartment with the year of acquisition 2020 is added in the declaration for the year 2020 (filed on 26.03.2021) (…).
Thus, the integrity inspector established for the period of fiscal year 2018 a difference between the acquired wealth and the obtained income in the amount of about 21 thousand lei, for the period of fiscal year 2019 – a difference of more than 809 thousand lei, and for the period of fiscal year 2020 a difference of 1.4 million lei.
According to the ANI’s statement of 11 July, “this case is referred to the competent court for examination with a view to ordering the confiscation of the unjustified wealth”.
At the same time, Gheorghiu could be stripped of his right to hold public office and dignity
public office, with the exception of elective office, for a period of three years from the date of the final and irrevocable judgment confirming the existence of unjustified wealth, with entry in the State Register of persons prohibited from holding public office or public dignity.
Since October 2018, Ivan Gheorghiu has been appointed to the position of Head of the Department of Physical Training and Self-Defense of the Faculty of Civil Security and Public Order of the Academy “Stefan cel Mare” of the MIA, and from August 2021, until the first part of 2022, he held the public position with special status of pro-rector for administration and project management of the Academy “Stefan cel Mare” of the MIA.
He held the position of Secretary of State of the MEC from November 2019 to August 2021.
Gheorghiu ran in the early parliamentary elections of 11 July 2021 on the list of the Party of Development and Consolidation of Moldova (PDCM), and is a member of the political party so far.
