Suspicious deaths, without blame. All this during the “reign” at Prosecution Straseni of the couple Eduard Masnic / Elena Neaga. Sources from law structures say that, in fact, those hushed files may have contributed to the prosecutors enrichment, relegated from office on March 4^th, after she flaunted her wealth of millions on a social networking site.

According to the Prosecutor General (PG), in 2000, Elena Neaga began her prosecutor career at the Prosecutor Straseni. Her first function was to help the interim prosecutor, later becoming deputy prosecutor Straseni. In 2010, she followed Eduard Masnic, former chief prosecutor at Straseni, to Buiucani Prosecutor, being appointed to a position similar to that from Straseni. According to informations from the personal file of Elena Neaga, during 1995-1999, she graduated, part-time, Faculty of Law, State University of Moldova, obtaining a law degree at the age of … 38.

Intoxicated with a criminal case without result

In 2010, at the winery from Panasesti, Straseni, got intoxicated two employees, a man and a woman. They were working in the tank of wine fermentation. “There, were still gases. Nobody checked and people died”, says Profir Gorea, the husband of one of the victims. Prosecutors have opened a criminal case then, “Former director and founder closed the factory … Who knows if they sought him, though they all say that they are still looking for him now”, said Profir Gorea. Then, Prosecution Straseni was led by Eduard Masnic, and his deputy was Elena Neaga. “I went to Masnic as well. He told me to talk to the prosecutor who deals with the case. There was one, Croitor, after that they kept on changing. Now is the fourth prosecutor” continued the man. “I do not know if money were given. The fact is that nothing is done. The file is at the prosecution, but just stays there. Prosecutors say they are working and looking for the former director. But who knows”, reports, desperate, the man. Official sources from Prosecutor Straseni declared for ZdG that, initially, suspects in this case were two seniors of the victims, just that, subsequently, they “escaped”, the blame being placed on the founder, who is a foreign citizen and was not even in Moldova at that time.

“Everything is bought and sold”

The strange case from Panasesti is not a singular one. In the same period, the Prosecutor Straseni has investigated several cases with suspicious deaths where was not found and was not punished any culprit, and sources that have revealed these cases are stating that there have been paid tens of thousands of euros. In 2008, in Roscani, Straseni, Irina Sarbu, 22 years old, died after local doctor, Maria Mura, made her an injection. “I called Maria at home. The girl had fever, 37.4. We were worried that she might have Mumps (acute viral infectious disease, no). But, we better did not call her. She pulled out an analghin from her pocket … I told her to not do it, as she was allergic. She said, leave it, she will be ok. After 10 minutes she got white, and when the ambulance arrived, she died”, recounts Elena Sarbu, the victim’s mother.

She does not know too many details about the investigation. She knows only that she was called to the prosecutor’s office, where, at one point, an investigator would have said: “Auntie Lena, now everything is sold and bought. What did they have in there yard (doctor’s note), a car, what? As I heard they sold it. I said I do not know”. Our sources that have told us about the case also related to money that Mura family would have given to prosecutors and the car that they would have sold to get the money. The doctor says, however, that did not pay any money to get rid of investigation.

“They blackmailed us, they kept calling us …”

Initially, on the phone, Maria Mura told us that she does not know Elena Neaga, and that she can not talk, on the phone, if she was requested money or not. She reasoned that does not know us. The next day, we met her at the gate of her house. “They tried to ask, but I told them I will not give a coin, that I do not have … Neaga did not ask. Only two times I went to her. I do not have money to give them”, says the woman who continues to provide medical assistance. Regarding the fact that she sold the car to bribe, Maria Mura told us that in the middle would be a confusion. “Soon, the husband was involved in a car accident. One child died, and the car was “arrested” for two months. That’s why people thought I sold it. Now it is in the yard. The husband was found not guilty, but neither I nor he did not pay. We do not have money to bribe. We were blackmailed, they kept calling us, but I told them to leave us alone. When they said that I’m not guilty, I said that they ate half of my life. They destroyed me”, says Maria Mura.

We mention here that, initially, the file was managed by the prosecutor Ticu Ion, that now is also operating at Prosecutor Buiucani, subordinated by Masnic, and until Tuesday, by Elena Neaga. “Attorney Ticu gave me a single document. A forensic examination. Moreover, I do not know what he did”, says Elena Sarbu. Expertise conclusions are incriminating the doctor: “Death of Irina Sarbu arose from anaphylactic shock caused by the administration of medicinal substances”. Examination also revealed that in Irina’s body, were not found traces of alcohol or narcotic drugs, as previously speculated in the village.

Ion Ticu told us that he does not remember many details about this file, but that an expertise would have been done which showed that the doctor did what he had to do.

Dead without culprits

Another death shrouded in mystery took place in the village Lupa-Recea, Straseni. Then, Gheorge Arsenov was found dead, and our sources claim that law enforcement had a suspect, in the village. Only that, in the end, the suspect, E.S., lost this status, and the author of the murder has not been found. Local people hardly remember this case, and sister of Gheorge Arsenov, one of the few relatives remained in the village, says that “already everything is covered … We do not know anything, but I did not hear about someone giving money. This guy, E.S., was getting along well with Gheorge. I do not think he killed him. He had no reason. He was initially suspected, but It wasn’t right. If it was him, then he would have been arrested. I think George was killed by some prisoners. He stayed there, and after he left, they killed him”, says Raisa Ianovitchi, sister of the deceased.

In 2008, in Cojusna, dies Savelie Boscaneanu. Our sources say that, initially, Straseni prosecutors were investigating his murder, just that, eventually, the final conclusion, supported by villagers, was completely different. “No, Savelie was not killed. It was icy. He slipped and hit his head on the corner of the house”, says a woman in Cojusna, close to family Boscaneanu. ZdG also holds information on other files, managed suspiciously by Straseni Prosecutor until 2010.

Charged for “manufactured” cases

Ivan Munteanu, from Ghelauza, Straseni, attacked several times in court orders of prosecutor Elena Neaga. He claims that Neaga, along with attorney Ion Ticu and Eduard Masnic, all three leaving thereafter to Buiucani Prosecutor, may have contributed to the opening on his behalf of several criminal cases which he calls “manufactured”. He says that many of the orders of Attorney Neaga were canceled by the judge. “The three prosecutors left from Straseni after people began to revolt”, says Munteanu. Indeed, in May 2010, in front of the Prosecutor Straseni was held a protest, prosecutors being accused that do not do their job properly.

Asked by ZdG, Alexandru Rata, Straseni current prosecutor, refused to comment on the files to which I referred, motivating that he has nothing to do with them. At the same time, he told us that he did not verify if during that period when the institution was led by Masnic and Neaga there were criminal cases handled incorrectly. “I did not check because I do not have this right, not even moral. Other sections of the PG can check”, replied us Rata.

Masnic and Neaga, on holidays

Elena Neaga has not responded to ZdG calls. On Tuesday, PG initially announced that she was dismissed, and later, that she was transferred to Transport Prosecutor. On Wednesday, Corneliu Gurin, Attorney General was declaring for ZdG that Neaga is on holidays. Masnic, former head of Elena Neaga from Straseni and Buiucani, has his phone closed. Prosecution told us that he also would be on holidays. ZdG states that, if Masnic and Neaga would want to expose on the reported subjects, they will have space in the future editions of ZdG.

Please note that, in the statement of income and assets for 2012, Elena Neaga wrote in addition to the home of millions an apartment, under construction. ZdG found out that the prosecutor was referring to a flat bought at the price of 340 euro m2, two times cheaper than market price. This was possible because the prosecutor was included by PG governance in the list of prosecutors eligible of housing within the building for prosecutors who do not have a place to live, built in the park “Valley of Roses” by company Basconslux. The same sources claim that Neaga already sold that apartment.

Victor MOŞNEAG, victor.mosneag@zdg.md