Municipal civil servants recognize they often are offered bribe but they refuse

A number of civil servants in the City Hall recognize they were offered bribe for certain services, but assert they have never accepted, without giving other details. At the same time, interim mayor Vasile Ursu call on Chisinau residents to denounce any case of taking or giving bribe, stating that only in such a way can be eradicated this phenomenon, which still persists in the City Hall, says Ursu. These statements were made on Wednesday December 6 during a seminar on prevention and combating corruption in the municipal administration, organized by the Chisinau City Hall. Heads of municipal divisions, mayors of suburban villages and towns and heads of district office have participated in the event. Representatives of the Supreme Security Council under, Prosecutor’s Office and of Anticorruption Centre have spoken to the civil servants about corruption. Interim mayor of Chisinau municipality urged civil servants to perform their tasks, without seeking recompense from the citizens for solving a problem urgently. Vasile Ursu states it is difficult to trace cases of corruption among the civil servants without cooperating with the citizens who signal certain cases, “but do not give any details”. As Ursu states, elements of corruption still persist in the Architecture and Land Relations Division, though the number of civil servants that are working there was reduced by over 70 persons. Requested by the press, commandant of Municipal Military Centre Simion Dodon recognized there were cases when he was offered bribe but he has never accepted. Head of Municipal Tax Inspectorate Procopie Duca asserts that he has never received or given bribe. Mayor of Cricova town Valentin Gutan also says that “there were some attempts”, but never took or give bribe. At the City Hall in Chisinau there is a hotline that can be called by the citizens to signal cases of corruption. According to the City Hall’s leadership, most of appeals are related to the dwelling-communal issues and not to combating corruption. Anticorruption seminars have been organised till now in the district offices, suburban mayors’ offices and municipal divisions.