Victoria Furtună, who tendered her resignation from the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office, said that the persecutions against her began in 2022. Now, after she was classed as a suspect in a criminal case over leaks, another criminal case, over illicit enrichment, is being arranged against her.
In a press conference at IPN, Victoria Furtună said that the Security and Intelligence Service (SIS) is preparing a note asking the Prosecutor General’s Office to investigate her for illicit enrichment. “They collected all kinds of documents from state institutions to determine the origin of the money possessed by me and my family members,” stated the prosecutor, noting that the witness in the case will be a person who reported owning a car worth 10,000 lei.
According to Victoria Furtună, in 2022, when the persecutions began, SIS notified the National Integrity Authority (NIA) and asked this to check her property. “Apparently, there is nothing illegal here, but what happened over the course of a year and six months was disastrous. So, I had to present not only the bank transactions that for me as a prosecutor are pertinent evidence, but also photos of the vacations of my parents and of my mother-in-law, confirmation that she has lived with her partner for ten years, information about their income,” said the prosecutor.
She noted that she presented a series of proofs, but was told that they weren’t enough. Finally, NIA informed her that they found out that she had acquired movable and immovable property through relatives. “To protect my close relatives, I phoned them and asked if they had purchased anything since 2016, and they said that they didn’t buy anything. Respectively, I asked (NIA) to give me the right to claim these assets, and later they could be seized and confiscated for the benefit of the statemm” said Victoria Furtună, noting that she didn’t see that note or the invoked information.
She noted that she was intimidated as she handled a criminal case against public figures from state institutions, who introduced false information into official documents and used for these purposes public institutions, such as the Security and Intelligence Service, the National Anticorruption Center. The day after she communicated about these slippages and announced that she decided to resign, she was informed that a criminal case had been filed against her on disclosure of investigation data. Her computer was taken away and she was issued with a summons to appear at the Prosecutor’s Office to be classed as a suspect.
She also learned that her access to the state secret wasn’t extended on the grounds that she posed a danger to state security. “I don’t see how the position of prosecutor can be compatible with such accusations as no public person in the state has the right to work for the institution, for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova if they are considered factors that destabilize the situation in the country. So, I think I did a very good thing because the SCP did not respond to my request – to see if I’m compatible with the position of prosecutor in the APO. That’s why I believe that I acted correctly, until all the circumstances are established. In order not to harm the image of the Prosecutor’s Office, I submitted my resignation. And I seriously bank on the fact that the Prosecutor General will accept it and will issue the order to dismiss me from office,” said Victoria Furtună.
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