Former Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Andrei Spînu, who is currently secretary-general of the presidential institution, has spoken of several people in the state’s legal structures “who should have left office immediately” when power was taken over by the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), because, according to him, the officials had “served the Plahotniuc regime”. Spânu spoke about these people in the context of reports in recent weeks that his actions would be checked by law enforcement bodies.

ZdG spoke to the people concerned, one of whom said Spînu was “preparing his victimisation ground in the event that he is brought to account”.

“Key figures who were part of that regime”

“The ‘witty’ guys have already crossed the line. Some things already need to be said. I think that one of the reasons why I have been attacked, and unfortunately I continue to be attacked, including in recent weeks, is that even from the very first days when Madam President won the Presidency, and I also went to the Presidency and then to the Government, I said that the people who served the Plahotniuc regime, and especially in the law enforcement structures, must leave office immediately. I referred to the Intelligence and Security Service (SIS), the National Anti-Corruption Centre (NAC), the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the PCCOCS and other institutions.

I am not necessarily referring to civil servants who held lower positions or did their job as best they could. I am talking about key figures who were part of that regime. One of them, whom I mentioned in the early days, is Mițelescu. He worked at SIS, I don’t know where he is now. He was among those who loaded the Turkish teachers into vans, took them to the airport and made sure they were deported from Moldova. I believe that a character who did this should have left all the structures of force immediately, it was weeks. But I saw that he stayed much longer in the structures and still tried to clean himself up. This kind of character cannot participate in the reform of justice, in the fight against corruption, in the restructuring of any state institution. Because a man who did not understand that the deportation of Turkish teachers is illegal, immoral and under any kind of criticism I do not think he can. He needs a long prophylaxis, to understand what he has done. But unfortunately it didn’t happen,” said Andrei Spînu.

Sergiu Mițelescu: “I participated in the fight against corruption from the first day I started working in the Service”

Contacted by ZdG, the former head of Directorate No. 1 of the SIS Anti-Terrorist Centre Sergiu Mițelescu, who says he is not currently employed in any force structure, referred to his master’s degree in law, specialising in anti-corruption, obtained in 2017 from the Academy of Public Administration (which he sent to us for publication) but also to the results he would have had in his 12-year activity.

“I believe that the people who are going to fight corruption must be first of all people who have studies in the field.

In my work I had two cases, when I was offered money, and both are in the press. The first time as an investigative officer, and the second time already as head of a subdivision. When I was offered money and in both cases I made the detainment personally. I personally declared these two acts of corruption with the bribe that was offered to me. In both cases the persons admitted guilt and the materials have gone to court, there are convictions. More than 15 cases of corruption, which are on the SIS website, which I have personally handled, in my work of more than 12 years in the Service. I participated in the fight against corruption from the first day I started working in the Service.

I saw that he said he was trying to clean up his act. If I were to provide you with my CV, you would see that I have studies including abroad, studies in a European Centre for Security Studies, done during the period of service. For a long time, I was a national expert to the EU Council on the work of the Counter-Terrorism Centre (…) I do not need to clear my name of any issues. I have more than 12 state medals and distinctions. I have tried every time I have done my work to have an act, a law, an order, an inscription of the superior hierarchical chief. In the case of the Turkish teachers, I had no coordination and management role”, said Sergiu Mițelescu.

Asked why he thinks he ended up on this “list of people who should have resigned”, Mițelescu said he does not know Andrei Spînu personally but believes that “alongside him there are people who mislead him, misinform him”, people who would have been “documented” by the former SIS employee and his team.

“About me, information has emerged that I had been shadowing President Maia Sandu. This post was made on a Telegram channel and is false. I have never made any surveillance actions regarding Maia Sandu, Mr. Spînu or judges,” the former official added, noting that he had been targeted more than 30 times in “media and disinformation”.

Appointment of former SIS chief Alexandr Esaulenco as ambassador to Azerbaijan “a big mistake and a bad signal to the system”

“The same Esaulenco, who was head of SIS. For the first time I have to say that I in the Government voted against it, I did not raise my hand for him and said it directly to his face. I think it is a big mistake and a bad signal to the system when such people are promoted to ambassador. I think Mr Esaulenco needs a rehabilitation break too. You can’t build a system like this with Mițelescu and others and think that things are going well.

Ojog, is very close to one who has a Telegram channel and keeps saying he has a lot of details. With FSB faculty in Moscow,” said Andrei Spînu.

ZdG did not get a comment from Moldova’s ambassador to Azerbaijan, Alexandr Esaulenco, who was appointed to the post in September 2022. He did not respond to ZdG’s calls.

At the same time, the SIS press service said that neither the institution nor Vitalie Ojog commented on Andrei Spânu’s statements.

“Someone should take all the political files from after 2013-14 and see which was the team”

“Rurac, who served Morari from the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office, and the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office with another group from the NAC were doing all the political files, absolutely all the political files. Someone take all the political files after 2013-14, which were on Chitoaca, Filat, including Domnica Manole, and see who was the team, who are the four-five people at the NAC who handled these files,” Andrei Spînu said.

The “dominator” of Moldovan politics prepares the ground for victimization”

Eugeniu Rurac, who resigned at the end of February as acting head of the National Anti-Corruption Centre’s (NAC) General Prosecution Directorate, said he was puzzled by why he was mentioned in Spânu’s statements.

“During my work in state bodies, I had no connection with Mr. Spânu’s work, and I do not understand why he targeted me in this obviously staged interview, especially since I resigned from state bodies earlier this year.

I believe that the “dominator” of Moldovan politics is preparing the ground for victimization in the event that he is held criminally responsible for his actions, which are currently being investigated by the Prosecutor’s Office!

I regret that such an unsuitable person, who shows the signs of a sociopath, is leading Mrs Sandu’s Presidential Administration. He is a disgrace of this state and government!”, Rurac told ZdG.

“I see that cases are being opened on me, one on April 28, one on April 29, as if on demand, one after the other”

“Ivanov, with everyone knowing in what affinity relationship he is with Morari. I am not the Prosecutor General’s Office. I am not the head of the NAC, SIS, Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and elsewhere. I am the vice-president of a party that campaigned to get rid of the regime built by Vlad Plahotniuc. When we campaigned and came to power, I had and still have the expectation that these people will be removed from their positions to allow these structures to reform.

I see that cases are being opened on me, one on 28 April, one on 29 April, as if on command, one after the other. The CNA is more concerned with Șor’s statements than with what Șor himself has done”, Andrei Spînu added.

On the other hand, Mihail Ivanov, acting deputy head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, said that “Moldovan politicians, who claim that they are the ones who will build a state based on the rule of law, must understand that in a state based on the rule of law, politicians do not decide on the careers of judges and prosecutors, and even more so they do not decide who should be investigated and who should not”.

PAS: “We are determined to cleanse the system of corrupt elements bred by past oligarchic regimes”

The ruling party also came up with a reaction on social media after Spînu’s statements in support of the PAS vice-president.

“In recent times, PAS vice-president Andrei Spînu has been subjected to slander and dirty falsehoods from Kremlin-affiliated fugitives and criminal groups.

Andrei Spînu is a key member of the Action and Solidarity Party leadership and played a major role in the 2020 and 2021 election victories. As branch minister in the Gavrilița government, Mr Spînu played a key role in strengthening Moldova’s energy independence and successfully overcoming the unprecedented Russian energy blackmail to which our country has been subjected over the past two winters.

We vehemently condemn these attempts to denigrate our colleague. Andrei Spînu will continue to play a key role in our country’s effort to become an EU member as soon as possible. Justice reform will continue and will be completed. We are determined to cleanse the system of the corrupt elements bred by past oligarchic regimes.”

NAC spokeswoman Angela Starinschi previously confirmed to ZdG that the institution is examining the application to the Prosecutor General’s Office regarding alleged bank accounts held abroad by former Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Andrei Spînu.

“(…) In order to verify this information, the NAC has referred the matter to the Office for Prevention and Fight against Money Laundering, which in turn will provide a response to the NAC’s request,” said Angela Starinschi.

In 2022, fugitive MP Ilan Shor, sentenced in 2017 to seven years and six months in prison for fraud and money laundering, filed a complaint with the PG to “hold former deputy prime minister Andrei Spînu criminally liable” for “illicit enrichment and false declarations”. On Wednesday 29 March, the fugitive MP announced on his Facebook page that the deadline for examining his “denunciation” had been extended by the CNA.