Penal investigation started against teacher for bribe during graduation exams

A teacher from “Kiril si Metodiu” Lyceum in Chisinau, whose name was not made public by the police, is investigated for corruption. The teacher received money from parents to organise different events, including banquets, presents, paying for exams, as well as for other actions qualified as illegal by the police. The investigation found that 3 students from this class did not pass several graduation exams and the teachers proposed them to pay USD 50 each to have supplementary examinations, saying that this was the order of lyceum’s administration, Oleg Putuntica, deputy head of the Department for Fraud Investigation of Ministry of Interiors told a news conference on Tuesday, July 17. At present the police are investigating whether the administration of the lyceum is involved in this corruption case. According to Putuntica, 28 parents paid the sums asked by the teacher in order to make sure that their children get good results, and such cases were registered in other classes too, from a single class being collected USD 2800. Putintica says that the teacher recognised that she asked money from the parents. If found guilty, the teacher risks facing a fine of 500-1500 conventional units (1 unit = MDL 20) or imprisonment of 2 to 5 years. The representative of MIA said that the parents refuse to cooperate with the police and do not want to provide depositions on the sums of money that they paid illegally. This is the only corruption case during graduation examinations investigated by the police. In 6 months, the Department for Fraud Investigation has found 244 corruption cases, of which 70% are examined in court. 46 medical workers and 37 employees of the education institutions are investigated for such offences. Another 28 cases are related to trade, 9 cases – to Customs Services, 11 corruption cases found in the local public administration bodies, also being investigated 10 corruption cases involving policemen.