The head of the Chisinau General Medical and Social Assistance Division Boris Gîlcă and the manager of the temporary placement center for refugees located at 7/5 Studenților St were arrested for 72 hours in a criminal case started over abuse of office and appropriation of foreign funds. Another nine persons are to be classed as suspects, the head of the National Anticorruption Center Iulian Rusu told a news conference.
According to Iulian Rusu, as a result of searches at the home of Boris Gîlcă, there were found food and nonfood products, such as a vacuum cleaner, two microwave ovens, two radiators, four sleeping bags, eight boxes with plates and dishes and a number of sets of food products.
The investigation into this case was launched in February. It was established that the placement center for refugees on Studenților St is financed with state budget funds and with other funds. The financial support came from eight foreign NGOs and this was managed by a local body in cooperation with the local public administration. As a result of examinations, it was determined that persons in charge of the management of the center, in concert with public functionaries of the aforementioned division, falsified data about the assistance offered to refugees, causing considerable damage that is yet to be assessed.
Following searches at the homes and relatives of those involved, boxes with food products taken from the center for refugees were found.
Iulian Rusu noted that the placement center in 2022 received 100 million lei in assistance and the National Anticorruption Center is to establish which of the purchased goods reached the destination and which did not. There are tens of thousands of applications for assistance from the center signed by refugees, whose authenticity is to be determined.