Chisinau municipal councilor Valentin Cebotari, Durlești local councilor, said the real estate mafia is an octopus whose tentacles are the state institutions themselves. Together with a group of locals, the councilor presented a number of cases in which, according to him, building illegalities were committed with the tacit consent of representatives of the state.
“The people, when they hear about the real estate mafia, think that this is nothing else but those business entities or ill-intentioned developers, but in reality the real estate mafia is an octopus whose tentacles are the state institutions themselves. I refer to mayor’s offices, councils, the Technical Surveillance Agency, the Public Services Agency, the prosecutor’s office, the police, courts of law,” Valentin Cebotari stated in a news conference hosted by IPN.
The councilor noted that one of the cases refers to Tudor Vladimirescu St of Durlești. According to him, the court in 2021 obliged the Durlești Town Council to approve an urban development plan that envisioned the erecting of over 30 apartment buildings. It is very strange when the court accepts such an application as that plan wasn’t examined by the expert commission and in a council meeting.
“Furthermore, the material we obtained from the court shows that the hearing lasted for only five minutes. So, a judge during 5 minutes took a decision by which a council was obliged to adopt a zonal urban development plan that would envision the construction of 30 blocks on Tudor Vladimirescu St in Durlești. But the strangest thing is that the jurist of the Durlești mayor’s office refused to represent the Durlești Town Council in court and also didn’t appeal the decision taken by the first court,” stated the councilor. He noted that he filed a complaint to the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office almost two months ago and haven’t received any response yet.
Valentin Cebotari said another case refers to 11/2 Caucaz St in Durlești. A building that is 272 square meters in area was erected on a lot that is 150 square meters in area. “I cannot understand how the Technical Surveillance Agency could sign the final receipt document? How could the Public Services Agency register that building with the Cadastral Service? How could a building permit and the urbanism certificate be issued for a construction that is 272 square meters in area on a lot of only 150 square meters?” asked the councilor.
According to him, another case is that of 27 Balcani Bystreet. In 2009, the Durlești Town Council auctioned a lot of 3.68 ares. The situation concerning this lot is unclear as it is located on the public road that connects Durlești and Chisinau, but all the permissive documents were countersigned by the administration of the Durlești mayor’s office. “Another unordinary case is that of a five-story block erected on Tudor Vladimirescu St, which does not have a number yet. What is strange is that this block is being built on Durlești River or, more exactly, this river goes through the basement of this block. How could permissive documents be issued for such a construction?” asked the local councilor.
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