Seven persons, among whom five employees of the National Auto Transport Agency (ANTA), an employee of the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure and the manager of a passenger carrier, were arrested by anticorruption officers of and prosecutors in the morning of July 26, IPN has learned from the National Anticorruption Center.

These are suspected of organizing a scheme through which the functionaries promoted the interests of transport companies, exerting pressure on national and international route operators.

According to the Center, the ANTA employees, in collusion with functionaries of the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure, managed a number of passenger transportation routes through intermediaries. These systematically exerted pressure on drivers and carriers and monthly collected different sums as protection taxes so as not to withdraw their authorization or not to subject them to inspections.

The suspects made business entities to pay large sums of money so as to be able to work further. The manager of a company was allegedly obliged to pay €20,000 for continuing work, while others paid by 9,000 lei a month to the ANTA employees for not being inspected.

The anticorruption officers of and prosecutors started criminal cases over passive corruption and abuse of power committed by persons with responsible posts. These face up to 10 years in jail, with a fine of up to 8,000 lei and a ban on holding public posts for a period of up to ten years.