A judge from Drochia who was arrested a month ago on charges of passive corruption will stand trial. The criminal case against him was started by the prosecutor general based on a complaint submitted by a Moldovan woman who lives in Italy, IPN reports, quoting the Prosecutor General’s Office.
In April 2010, the judge had a private meeting with the woman and advised her how to act to claim the property disputed by her and her partner. The judge said he will help her recover the home and will do so that the civil case will be distribute to him for examination. He then asked and received €200 from the woman for expert advice.
Afterward, the judge said he will examine the case and will adopt a decision in the woman’s favor for a sum of €6 200. The woman transferred from Italy the money to a bank account and the judge collected it.
In November 2014, as a result of the trial, the judge ruled that the woman will own 75.26% of the house’s value. But he didn’t pronounce on the lien over the disputed property and thus asked for another €1 000 for positively solving the case.
The same day, the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office took special investigation measures. The conversation where the judge confirmed that he received the asked money was recorded. The judge was banned from leaving the town. He faces up to 15 years in jail, a fine of up to 200 000 lei and ban on holding public office during at most 15 years.
Over the last three years, the anticorruption prosecutors investigated 11 judges for acts of corruption. Eight of these were brought to justice, with two of them being already convicted.
