The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA) announced on Friday, March 3, the completion of the criminal prosecution and referral to the court for examination of the merits of the criminal case against a consular adviser of the Moldovan Embassy in Bucharest for committing the crime of abuse of office.

The criminal prosecution was initiated by the criminal prosecution body of the National Anti-Corruption Centre (CNA) on 21 September 2020, based on the referral from the Intelligence and Security Service (SIS).

“According to the address, the Counsellor on consular matters concealed the real number of requests for consular services, charged and unaccounted fees for the issuance by the Moldovan Embassy in Bucharest of certificates confirming driving licenses, issued by the Public Services Agency (ASP) of the Republic of Moldova, for the purpose of exchanging Moldovan driving licenses for Romanian ones, as a result causing a damage of 1796622.00 lei,” the PA announces.

According to anti-corruption prosecutors, “the accused admitted his guilt and voluntarily returned to the state budget the damage caused to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration in the amount of 1796622.00 lei”. The criminal case referred to justice is to be examined by the Court of the Municipality of. Chisinau, Buiucani.

For the offence committed, the law provides for the maximum penalty in the form of a fine ranging from 67,500 to 117,500 lei or imprisonment from 2 to 7 years, in both cases with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or to exercise a certain activity for a period of 5 to 10 years, the PA also reports.

Earlier, the CNA announced that “according to the indictment, during the period of being on a diplomatic mission in the position of counselor of the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Romania, from 30.01.2017 to 01.08.2020, the accused perfected, personally signed and issued to individuals 8929 certificates of confirmation of driving licenses, issued by the Public Services Agency of the Republic of Moldova, for the purpose of exchanging Moldovan driving licenses for Romanian ones. Out of the total number of documents, 2566 were issued without the presentation by the beneficiaries of the receipt or the copy of the payment order for the amount to be paid into the account. In this way, the official concealed the real number of requests for consular services and appropriated the consular fees and the related fees for issuing the certificates”.