Boris Gîlca, head of the General Directorate of Medical and Social Assistance of the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC), who is the subject of a case of abuse of office and embezzlement of external funds, has submitted his resignation. An announcement to this effect was made on Friday, May 5, by the mayor of the capital, Ion Ceban.

The mayor of the capital said he would not accept the request submitted by Boris Gîlca.

“Mr. Gîlca has submitted a request to resign from office. Only a fair man could make this gesture in order not to tarnish the image of the institution and his personal image. I do not accept this request. I don’t believe in the Power Point investigations of the CNA in relation to Mr Gîlca,” Ion Ceban said in a Facebook post.

On Thursday, May 4, Boris Gîlca, head of the General Directorate of Medical and Social Assistance of the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC), and a subordinate were detained following searches carried out by officers of the National Anti-Corruption Centre (CNA) and anti-corruption prosecutors in criminal cases initiated on charges of abuse of office and embezzlement of external funds.

Several goods, purchased with foreign and budgetary funds, intended for refugees from Ukraine, were allegedly embezzled by public officials from the General Directorate of Medical and Social Assistance of the Chisinau City Council in complicity with officials of a Temporary Placement Centre for Refugees (CTPR). The findings result from investigations by NAC officers, conducted jointly with anti-corruption prosecutors and employees of the National Investigation Inspectorate (INI) of the Police in criminal cases involving abuse of office and embezzlement of foreign funds.

On Thursday, May 4, CNA together with prosecutors and investigation officers of INI conducted 24 raids on several addresses, including the headquarters of the temporary placement centre for refugees in Chisinau municipality, str. Students 7/5, in the garages/warehouses and accessory buildings, located at this address with the purpose of detecting and seizing documents, memorandum entries (personal diaries, sheets, notebooks, other material carriers of information), funds obtained as a result of criminal activity, funds obtained from the sale of goods intended for refugees and procured from external funds.

Criminal prosecutions also targeted employees of the General Directorate for Medical and Social Assistance of the Chisinau Municipal Council.

In the framework of prosecutions and special investigative measures, it was established that the staff assigned to the CTPR activity, while on duty, systematically stole food and non-food items (including large and small household appliances, furniture, bed linen, etc.) in considerable proportions which were purchased from external refugee funds.