Lawyer arrested last week by anti-corruption officers and prosecutors with 15 700 euros, the largest bribe that was ever caught a lawyer in Moldova, is a former policeman, beaten by protesters during the events of April 2009. Ion Cretu was known as a “house lawyer” at Center to Combat Trafficking of Human Beings, institution over which he was saying, to a Bulgarian friend whom at one time he represented in court, he would have influence.

Wednesday, March 19th, the National Anti-Corruption Centre (NAC ) announced that, on March 18^th, along with anti-corruption prosecutors, have detained, in the act, a lawyer who had on him 15 700 euros. NAC was announcing that defender would have said to declarant that has influence on some employees of the Centre for Combating Trafficking of Human Beings and that he can cause to cover up the criminal record on his name. NAC also stated that the act took place in place in Chisinau, and during it the lawyer, tried to get rid of money, throwing them on the floor, and also that in the file, also on Tuesday, was detained one more person, who would have asked the informer 5000 euros to escape criminal liability. After the announcement of NAC, representatives of the law asked themselves why did prosecutors and anti-corruption officers did not go further on in this case, to find out, who was the final recipient of the bribe.

Lawyer, ex-cop, beaten on April 7^th

Name of the lawyer retained by NAC with the 15 700 euros (about 300 thousand lei ) is Ion Cretu. Him, being 31, started to activate as a lawyer in June 2011, when he opened his own cabinet. A month earlier, Cretu passed with success the examination of qualification in law. Prior to being a lawyer, Ion Cretu worked on a contract basis in the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) from October 5^th, 2006, until December 24^th, 2009. Meanwhile, Cretu received several awards and thanks, including an honorary degree. Before that, Cretu graduated law at the Free International University of Moldova ( FIUM )

Ion Cretu’s name appears in the list of police officers who, after the events of April 2009, needed medical care at the hospital and / or MAI Polyclinic. According to that list, then Cretu was a lieutenant in the local police at Riscani district and got, especially after the battles with protesters, soft tissue contusion of the left calf and massive post-traumatic subcutaneous hematoma of the left leg”.

Informer, friend of an accused

ZdG found out that the person who denounced Ion Cretu is a citizen of Turkish origin. Transactions took place in a file where figure his friend, a Bulgarian citizen, now in custody. Bulgarian was held by the Centre for Combating Trafficking of Human Beings of National Investigation Inspectorate at the end of February 2014, at the entry into Moldova at the Customs Leuseni. The announcement about the operation was presented by lead of Centre for combating THB in a press conference, attended by Ana Revenco, head of Centre for combating THB, her deputy, Iurii Podarilov and Eduard Bulat, head of department fot combating human trafficking from the Prosecutor General (PG ). Bulgarian, of 35 years old, was accused of child trafficking for sexual exploitation.

According to information provided by the Centre for Combating THB, in August 2013, Bulgarian recruited by deception a 17 years under the pretext of a well-paid employment as a nanny in Turkey, for a salary of 1000 USD. In September 2013, the minor went to Turkey, in the region Kamgurgaz, being ” transferred ” to another person of Turkish origin. Housed in an apartment, the young woman was forced to perform sexual services for a monthly fee. Later, after the intervention of law enforcers, she has returned to Moldova.

Prosecutor: He had no way to influence

Bulgarian citizen’s file is managed by the Department for combating human trafficking in the PG by prosecutor John Dadu. Eduard Bulat, head of department, told us that to discuss with him we will have to come to the department, stating that the prosecutor had no way to be influenced by the 15 700 euros. Regarding Bulgarian citizen’s file, Bulat says that “it is already set for finishing of prosecution. Even if he said to have influence, I can not imagine what kind of influence and on whom, because, anyway, the case was about to be indicted. But, he ( Ion Cretu , no ) participated on file at the initial stage. Maybe he had a different idea about the evolution of investigations, I do not know. Now, Bulgarian citizen has another lawyer. File is ready for trial and will leave soon. I’m telling you, not as a prosecutor or head of department: He had no way to influence, more than that, I, initially, heard that the money were for the Court of Appeal, in order to change the measure. That was impossible, because at Court of Appeal the case has already been examined. Bulgarian citizen is now in custody. His mandate was extended a day or two before retaining of attorney”, says Bulat, stating that he knew nothing about the NAC operation and found out about it only on the day it happened. We mention here that, previously, Bulat worked at the Prosecutor Anti- corruption, institution that participated in the act of arrest of lawyer in the act, now managing that file. Bulat ( see the picture) is closely associated with Iurie Podarilov, deputy head of Centre for combating THB, and other employees from Centre for combating THB, one of them, Alexei Maciuca.

Also Iurie Podarilov, deputy head of Centre for combating THB, does not believe that the money would have eventually come to the Center’s contributors. He claims he does not even know in which file from Centre for combating THB was the name of lawyer retained by NAC. “We did not get involved. From what I understood, it was found out that in the files are not involved collaborators of Centre for combating THB. I just know that on the files that contained this lawyer, on all are accumulated eloquent evidences. All these files have the prospect of being send to trial. Absolutely he had no way to influence anyone from the Centre”, he said, while admitting that Ion Cretu is a lawyer who, over time, had several cases under the management of Centre for combating THB.

Why did the prosecutors stopped on the lawyer?

ZdG found out that Ion Cretu would be a trusted lawyer ” of home ” of the Centre for combating THB, participating in many cases initiated by the institution and that, as a former employee of MIA, has made enough relationships among the Center, with some of them even activating previously. In these circumstances, the alleged influence that lawyer has claimed having on those managing the file of Bulgarian citizen seems a plausible one. However, Vitalie Galeru, prosecutor anti-corruption investigating the case of retained lawyer, says that there are no evidences demonstrating that the influence was real. “Why didn’t he go further? What do you think, if we were waiting, this money would not have been lost or spent? We acted this way for security. The money could have been spent, there traces being lost”, told us prosecutor. He says that, however, in the file, will be heard representatives of the Centre for combating THB.

Regarding the other person retained on file, who demanded 5,000 euros, Galeru told us that he is a lawyer from a public association. “The man who claimed 15,700 euros was saying he will solve the whole problem. The other asked 5000 to solve the problem of pre-trial detention. The two were not related to each other, “explained prosecutor. Both suspects are now in NAC isolator, with arrest mandates for 15 days. Prosecutor and defenders of lawyer attacked conclusion of the first instance. The prosecution requested arrest mandate for 15 days, and defend, his release.

Alexandr Bodnariuc, one of the two defenders of lawyer Ion Cretu, declared us that he, so far, used the right not to give testimony. “He does not recognize the act and claims he is not guilty”.

“We have received notice yesterday that the lawyer Ion Cretu was arrested. Yes, it is the largest bribe that was ever caught a lawyer in Moldova”, said Gheorghe Amihalachioaie, president of the Union of Lawyers.

Victor MOSNEAG