Methodologist of Alecu Russo University in Balti to be tried for influence peddling

The methodologist of Alecu Russo State University in Balti will stand trial for influence peddling. The North Division of the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office submitted the legal case to the court, Info-Prim Neo has learnt from the press unit of the General Prosecutor’s Office. According to prosecutors, the methodologist, who is a coordinator at the part-time education division of the University’s Economics Faculty, in January this year asked 500 euros from a person for issuing the given person with a diploma of the given institution. The methodologist said he could influence persons holding important positions at the Ministry of Education and Youth. The suspect was caught immediately after he took the money. The methodologist is also accused of taking 4,250 lei offered by students in 13 student record books. He asked the money, saying he could convince some of the teachers to put them good marks in exams. If found guilty, the methodologist would be fined 500 to 1,500 conventional units (10,000 to 30,000 lei) or imprisoned for up to 5 years. During the first two months of this year, the General Prosecutor’s Office discovered 95 offenses committed by persons holding important posts: 4 cases of active corruption, 10 cases of passive corruption, 14 cases of bribery, 19 cases of abuse of power and 26 cases of excess of authority. As many as 3,114 offences were recorded overall during January-February 2009, down 13% compared with the corresponding period last year.