The National Anti-Corruption Centre (NAC) announces that anti-corruption prosecutors are to file on Friday, March 31, applications requesting the preventive arrest of 11 employees of the Giurgiulesti Border Inspection Post (PIF) of the National Agency for Food Safety (ANSA), detained on March 30 for facilitating the transit of goods.

According to the NAC, following searches carried out on 30 March at the ANSA’s Giurgiulesti BIP headquarters, at the homes and in the cars of the 11 suspects, NAC officers and anti-corruption prosecutors seized funds in different currencies: 13,625 euros, $1,320, 148,000 lei, 5,300 Romanian lei, 30,600 hryvnia, 1,000 pounds sterling, 760 Turkish lira and 1,200 Russian rubles. The suspects’ mobile phones were also seized, as well as more computer equipment.

On 30 March, NAC officers and anti-corruption prosecutors raided ANSA’s Giurgiulesti PIF in connection with cases of passive corruption. As a result of the prosecution, 11 ANSA employees were detained for 72 hours on suspicion of having collected illegal payments from various economic agents for facilitating the transit of goods.

“According to NAC investigations, employees of the Giurgiulesti PIF allegedly demanded and accepted sums of money, in different currencies, from transporters of animal and plant products in order not to submit them to sanitary and veterinary checks. In exchange for the illicit payments, the officials facilitated the introduction into the country of various products without the necessary permits.

The head of ANSA’s Giurgiulesti FIP and 10 inspectors under his supervision were also documented in the course of operational and investigative actions. According to the materials gathered, the amounts obtained per shift amounted to 15 thousand lei – money collected at the Giurgiulesti-Reni and Giurgiulesti-Galati state border crossing points,” the NAC announced.

In an official reaction, the National Agency for Food Safety stated that it “will actively cooperate with the prosecution body in the part related to the investigation of the employees of the Border Inspection Post (BIP) Giurgiulesti, in strict compliance with the provisions of the legislation in force”.

“The management of the National Agency for Food Safety disassociates itself from employees who admit corrupt manifestations in their work, and reiterates its commitment to continue its work in the spirit of legality, transparency, fairness and accountability, including declaring zero tolerance to acts of corruption,” ANSA announced.

According to NAC investigations, the Giurgiulesti PIF employees allegedly demanded and accepted money, in different currencies, from transporters of animal and plant products in order not to submit them to sanitary and veterinary checks. In exchange for the illicit payments, the officials facilitated the introduction into the country of various products without the necessary permits. The Southern Office of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office is leading the investigation.

On 30 March, in an official reaction, the National Agency for Food Safety stated that it “will actively collaborate with the prosecution body in the investigation of the employees of the Giurgiulesti Border Inspection Post (BIP), in strict compliance with the provisions of the legislation in force”.

Agency representatives recommend individuals and legal entities to report to ANSA, at the e-mail address: info@ansa.gov.md, any deviation admitted in the process of examining applications and petitions by the employees of the institution.