The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (AP) informs on Thursday, September 22, that it has sent to court a new episode of the criminal case generically called “Bank Fraud”, in which the former governor of the National Bank of Moldova (BNM) Dorin Drăguțanu and two former deputy governors of the BNM, Ion Sturzu and Emma Tăbârță, are targeted.

They are accused of complicity in “the offence of fraud, committed by a criminal organisation, using their official position, in a particularly large scale” (Article 42, Article 190(5) of the Criminal Code), as well as participation in money laundering, “committed by several persons, using their official position, by a criminal organisation, in a particularly large scale” (Art. 42 para.(5), art.243 para.(3) of the Criminal Code).

Therefore, according to the indictment, during 2014, the former governor of the BNM Dorin Drăguțanu, as well as the two deputy governors Ion Sturzu and Emma Tăbârță, “acting in the interests of the criminal organization, led by Vladimir Plahotniuc and other persons in the process of being identified, developed and implemented a well-determined plan of embezzlement in particularly large proportions of funds from the national banking system”.

“According to the evidence, prosecutors found that the criminal organization led by Vladimir Plahotniuc consisted of several organized criminal groups, members of which, through intermediaries, controlled the banks BC “Unibank” SA, BC “Banca Socială” SA, Banca de Economii SA,” the AP states.

According to prosecutors, during 2014, the governor of the BNM, as well as the two deputy governors of the BNM, “as persons affiliated with the criminal organization, removed obstacles and provided the necessary tools to carry out the embezzlement of money at the disposal of BC “Unibank” SA, BC “Banca Socială” SA and Banca de Economii SA, including by approving persons affiliated with the organized criminal group led by Ilan Șor in the governing bodies of the mentioned banks and by not intervening in the defective activity of these banks.”

These acts would have allowed members of the criminal organization to steal money in the amount of about 2,544,782,105.6 lei and to integrate the stolen money into the legal circuit of Moldova and other countries.

The anti-corruption prosecutors, with the authorisation of the investigating judge, for the purpose of repairing the damage caused by the crime and possible special confiscation, applied precautionary measures in the form of seizures on the assets of the former BNM Governor and the former BNM Deputy Governor respectively, totalling over 4 million lei.

At the same time, as regards the second former Deputy Governor of the BNM, the Public Prosecutor’s Office informs that at this stage the criminal proceedings against him could not be completed, given that he is abroad. The prosecutors have therefore sent a letter rogatory to the country where he is being held with a view to bringing the charges against him to light.