An ex-head of Criuleni district Vitalie Rotaru was arrested on suspicion that he appropriated 1.7 million lei within European investment projects. Searches were performed at his home in the morning of April 13, IPN reports.

According to the National Anticorruption Center, the denouncers that are business entities said the former district head exerted pressure on them to make them given him the mentioned sum.

A criminal case was started over passive corruption. It was established that the Criuleni District Council in 2012 signed a memorandum of cooperation for attracting investment for sustainably developing local communities with an association. One year later, the signatories obtained two grants contracts to the value of over €2 million.

After the projects were launched, the ex-district head blackmailed members of the association to make them contribute financially to particular projects. These told the investigators that the suspect created impediments to the firms involved in the implementation of the projects, refusing to allocate the required co-financing from the district budget.

If he is found guilty, Vitalie Rotaru will serve up to 15 years in jail.