Alleged influence peddler caught red-handed with €10,000

A male resident of Carahasani village in Stefan Voda district is being suspected of influence peddling after being caught red-handed at the moment when he was receiving a sum of €10,000 solicited from a man. The alleged trafficker, who goes by the name of Veaceslav Matveev, was arrested as he was receiving the requested money in a village bar. Investigations started after the suspect promised a man he would intervene with the police authorities of the district to clear the man’s two sons of hooliganism charges, in return for a €10,000 fee. Prosecutors have taken over the case. If found guilty by a court, the man could serve an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and pay a fine of up to 30,000 lei. On this occasion, the Prosecutor’s General Office issued a statement on Friday encouraging the public to report similar cases to the institution’s helplines and guaranteeing that anonymity would be respected.