The Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office said the investigation into the case of the ex-minister of transport and road infrastructure Iurie Chirinciuc, who is accused of traffic of influence and abuse of power, was completed and the case was sent to court. Two businessmen accused of complicity in influence peddling will also stand trial, IPN reports.

The three signed guilt acceptance agreements with the prosecutor so as to get milder punishmenta. As to the director of the State Road Administration, another criminal case was started against this and the investigation goes on.

According to prosecutors, the ex-minister of transport, together with the heads of two building companies, organized a scheme to illegally obtain money. They exerted pressure on a company that won the tender contests financed by the European Investment Bank with the aim of making this concede a part of the workload to affiliated business entities.

In 2016-2017, the minister, through the agency of decision makers of the State Road Administration, placed impediments to the winning company by refusing to sign documents that enabled to carry out works, by delaying the approval and by making this sign subcontracts with firms close to the functionaries. The suspects even threatened the businessmen who owned the company with the termination of the contract and his inclusion in the black list.

The ex-minister is also accused of abuse of power when he organized capital repair and construction works to the value of almost 8 million lei for the road of access to Floreni village of Ungheni district, where a firm whose beneficiary the former minister is was based. The money allocated from the Road Fund was also used to asphalt the territory of the given company.

Iurie Chirinciuc is under house arrest. One of the accused businessmen is also under house arrest, while the second was obliged not to leave the place of stay.