Judge Maria Tertea of the Ciocana branch of the Chisinau City Court was suspended from post following a decision taken by the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) on March 31, at the request of the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office, IPN reports.

The SCM meeting was held online, but wasn’t broadcast and only the Council’s decision was made public at the end.

Acting chairwoman of the SCM Luiza Gafton said judge Maria Tertea, who is accused of influence peddling in accordance with Article 326 of the Penal Code, was suspended until the court decision in this case remains final. The SCM’s decision can be challenged in the Chisinau City Appeals Court within 30 days.

On March 22, the prosecutors announced that a judge of the Chisinau City Court was arrested on influence peddling charges. In several days, the judge was released under judicial control for 60 days and was allowed to work further. She was suspected of asking US$16,000 from the manager of a company for helping this obtain a favorable court decision in a civil lawsuit. The judge presumably received US$11,000 of the initial sum.

Maria Tertea was named judge in March 2011. In December 2017, she was accused of not declaring large sums of money she owed to creditors. The criminal case was dropped in two months.