The National Roma Center calls on the authorities to help solve a case that involves Roma businessman from Glodeni Gheorghe Banda. The businessman stated that a bank created difficult conditions for him to repay the loan he took out, aiming to obtain the pledged property.

In a news conference at IPN, Gheorghe Banda said that several years ago he applied for a loan of 100,000 lei to the Glodeni branch of FinComBank for developing a business in the center of the town. When he was close to paying off the loan, the director of the branch offered him to take out another loan given that he was an exemplary client. He thus borrowed another 600,000 lei, pledging a beauty salon and two saunas he owns.

The businessman related that though he negotiated to repay the loan in 10 years, the director informed him that he must pay the money within 7 years. When the seven-year-period ended, Gheorghe Banda had to ask for a grace period of one year given that the repayment term was reduced and he didn’t manage to collect the necessary sum. Meanwhile, the bank sued him for not paying the loan. The pledged property was sequestrated, while his accounts at FinComBank were blocked.

The head of the National Roma Center Nicolai Radita said the Romanies are persuaded by different methods to take out loans from banks. “There are Romanies who want to develop businesses in Moldova, but they are involved in different schemes. Those who do this profit from the fact that some of the Romanies do not know the legislation or the rules in the financial-banking sector,” he stated.

Consultant and financial expert Anatol Cainareanu said that as the lending contract was signed for a period of ten years, the repayment term could not be reduced. The rights of the businessman were violated because he was told to pay interest on the loan including for the grace period of one year. Also, the bank drew up the documents not fully in accordance with the legislation.

The representatives of the National Roma Center requested the Ministry of Justice and the National Bank of Moldova to intervene. The businessman said that he is ready to fully repay the loan in conditions favorable to him and taking into account the created situation.