Prosecutors sent to court the criminal case started against the mayor of Basarabeasca town over professional negligence with serious consequences. The mayor faces up to six years in jail, IPN reports.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Special Cases, in the course of 2015 and until September 2016, a minor girl from the town had been forced to have sex for money by her father. The mayor is accused of not taking measures to stop this case of sexual exploitation, despite the approaches made to the local public authorities.

The mayor was arrested on March 17. In a news conference later, representatives of the Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova asked that mayor Valentin Cimpoies should be released from police custody. The Congress’ executive director Viorel Furdui said the local authorities are imposed different obligations and responsibilities by different regulations, without financial coverage and necessary implementation instruments.