Four persons were arrested on suspicion that they illegally organized games of chance, avoided paying taxes and illegally paid salaries. In a news conference, prosecutors Valeriu Bodean and Ion Negurita said damage of millions of lei was thus caused to the state.
Those arrested are aged between 28 and 50. They set up a gaming hall with roulettes, video and audio devices and sophisticated equipment that ensured connection to the Internet. The gambling games were played online, through a website that could be accessed only from IP addresses from outside Moldova.
According to the prosecutors, the registered limited liability company declared that it worked as a ‘telephone center’. In reality, it provided games of chance online. Over 80 employees worked nonstop by three shifts.
The arrested persons are the company manager, hall manger, IT network administrator and personnel manager. Three of these were placed under arrest for 30 days. As regards the fourth, the court is to take a decision today, February 14.
The data obtained by prosecutors and officers of the Security and Intelligence Service show that for the provided services, the company paid 30% of the salary to employees legally, while the other 70% ‘in envelope’. As a result of tax evasion, millions of lei could not be collected into the state budget.
During searches performed at suspects’ homes, at an IT company and at the clandestine casino, the prosecutors seized large sums of money that were paid unofficially to employees, equipment, financial documents and other relevant evidence.
Under the legislation, the sums larger than 40 average monthly salaries, which is about 220,000 lei, are considered exceptionally large amounts.
