Searches were conducted on Tuesday at homes and offices of employees of the Agency for Interventions and Payments in Agriculture (AIPA). These are suspected of abuse of office, abuse of power, active and passive corruption, influence peddling and money laundering. Six persons were arrested, while another six suspects are investigated outside custody. Prosecutors are to interrogate another 24 persons as suspects, IPN reports.
In a press briefing, National Anticorruption Center director Iulian Rusu said that today’s activities were carried out as part of 26 criminal cases concerning episodes committed the last few months, regarding the management by the AIPA of funds within a number of projects it implements.
“We initially detected a scheme by which 10% of the funds distributed in breach of the legal provisions were transferred in hidden form to functionaries of the AIPA through the agency of intermediaries. The sums could rise to 150,000 lei per subsidization contract. Another important episode, with damage of about 3.5 million lei, was identified at another local office of the AIPA. Contrary to the top limits set by law and by the AIPA internal regulations, larger subsidies were offered. At another local office, we discovered episodes to illegally offer 100,000 lei, which is 10% of a subsidization contract,” stated Iulian Rusu.
According to him, the schemes involved functionaries of the AIPA and representatives of commercial and public organizations. Among the beneficiaries were mayors.
The head of the Anticorruption Proctor’s Office Veronica Dragalin said that 68 searches were carried out in Glodeni, Sângerei, Bălți, Râșcani, Comrat, Chisinau, Fălești and Drochia.
As a result of the searches, the AIPA issued a press release saying that it will offer all the support and will actively cooperate with the prosecution body in the investigation of employees. “The administration of the AIPA dissociates itself from the employees who have a corrupt professional conduct and reiterates its commitment to work further in the spirit of legality, transparency, correctness and responsibility and also declares zero tolerance of corruption,” runs the press release.
