A businessman was arrested on charges of abuse of power. This is suspected of instituting monopoly on the export of fruit and vegetables to Russia in collusion with employees of the National Food Safety Agency, IPN has learned from the National Anticorruption Center.

The administrator of an Ltd bribed public servants to obtain the phytosanitary certificates needed to export vegetable products to Russia without the goods being checked. He also acted as an intermediary in issuing certificates to other agricultural producers in exchange for recompense.

The police carried out searches in the office and at the domicile of the businessman and at the Chisinau-based division of the National Food Safety Agency, where they seized the stamp and facsimile of the Ltd that applied for phytosanitary certificates, private email letters about how the certificates were issued in the absence of legal inspections at the unauthorized storehouse and other evidence.

The businessman was arrested for 72 hours, while the employees of the National Food Safety Agency continue to be investigated. Abuse of power carries a penalty of two to six years in jail or a fine of 67,500 to 117,500 lei, in both cases with ban on holding particular posts or performing particular activities for five to ten years.