The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA) comes with details on the criminal case of fraud and influence peddling in which former Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM) MP Constantin Țuțu was accused of demanding and receiving 20,000 euros from a person in September-October 2017 to influence prosecutors and judges to adopt favorable solutions for a defendant.

According to the PA, at the last court hearing, which took place on 23 January 2023, the defence again filed a motion requesting that the criminal case on unlawful enrichment be referred for joinder to the criminal case from which it had previously been severed.

“The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office assesses these actions by the defense as an attempt to delay the examination of the criminal case,” according to a statement.

On May 11, 2020, the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office sent to court the criminal case of indictment of former MP Țuțu for committing the crimes of fraud and influence peddling.

The former MP was also accused that, being a person of public dignity, in the period 2014-2019, he incurred expenses in amounts greater than the income earned in the same period, and that, for 2017 and 2018 respectively, he included in the declaration of wealth and personal interests false and incomplete data on the income obtained.

On 2 November 2021, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office sent to court the criminal case against Constantin Țuțu, in which he is accused of illicit enrichment and false statements.

On 8 December 2021, at the request of the defence, the court decided to join the criminal cases into one proceeding.

At the same time, according to the PA, by the court’s decision of 15 February 2022, after the defense party’s request to terminate the criminal proceedings against the former MP on two counts of false statements, the criminal case against him on the charges of unlawful enrichment and false statements was split and sent for assignment and examination to another judge.

“The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, considering that these actions on the part of the court outline a reasonable doubt of impartiality in the examination of the case, submitted a request for recusal to the judge who ordered the settlement, with a view to transferring the criminal case it had retained in the proceedings to another judge, which request was rejected,” the PA notes.

Following the transfer of the split case to another judge for consideration, from 3 March 2022, the date of the appointment of the first court hearing to date, 12 court hearings have been held.

“All court hearings are at the preliminary hearing stage. Out of the total number of court hearings, 4 hearings were adjourned due to non-appearance of the defendant and/or his defence counsel and in 4 hearings various requests were submitted by the defence side,” the prosecution said.

At the moment, the former MP is subject to the procedural measure of constraint, the order to appear in court, and the measure of seizure of his property and funds in the amount of 800,000 lei.