The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA) announced on Wednesday, April 5, the completion of the criminal prosecution and referral to court for examination on the merits of the criminal case against former MP Victor Mîndru, charging him with the crimes of illicit enrichment and false statements. He is currently a Democratic Party councillor in the Chisinau Municipal Council.

The criminal cases were initiated in 2022 by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office based on a self-report and a referral to the National Integrity Authority.

According to the investigations, between February 2014 and December 2017, the accused, holding the mandates of deputy in the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, acquired through his son, for himself, several real estate assets (apartment, land for construction, individual house of residence), the value of which substantially exceeds the value of the means acquired from lawful sources of income.

The parallel financial investigations ordered and carried out in the case revealed that, during the mentioned period, the ex-deputy, together with his wife and son, obtained from lawful sources accumulated means in the amount of 1 781 397 lei (salaries, pensions, interest, the price for the disposal of a property and scholarships), as well as incurred expenses in the same period of time in the amount of 3 387 395 lei, including here all maintenance expenses, expenses incurred for the procurement of services, expenses related to the replenishment of bank accounts, including expenses for the purchase of real estate.

Also the ex-deputy, being a person of public dignity and subject of the declaration, did not include in the declarations of assets and personal interests, completed, digitally signed and electronically transmitted in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 a holiday villa with the adjacent land, acquired in 2005, as well as an apartment located in Chisinau, acquired in 1996.

He also, with the aim of creating a false appearance regarding the acquired income and unfoundedly increasing it by a total amount of approximately 440,000 lei, included incomplete or false data in the declarations of assets and personal interests.

In the same criminal case, his son is also accused of participating as an accomplice in the offence of illicit enrichment of a person of public dignity.

The defendants have not admitted their guilt and the criminal case has been sent to the Buiucani court for examination on the merits.

For the offence committed, the law provides for punishment in the form of a fine ranging from 400,000 to 500,000 lei or imprisonment from 7 to 15 years, in both cases with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or to exercise a certain activity for a period of 10 to 15 years.

At the same time, in order to guarantee the execution of the fine and confiscation, a seizure was imposed on the assets belonging to the defendant, amounting to approximately 1 630 632 lei.

On 2 February 2022, searches were carried out at a group of defected PCRM deputies who, in December 2015, announced the creation of a social democratic platform, after which they joined the PDM.