The criminal investigation into the pollution of the Dniester River with petroleum products is ongoing, and prosecutors continue to gather evidence and establish all the circumstances of the incident. The General Prosecutor’s Office has informed IPN that within the framework of the investigation, information is being requested from the competent authorities in the Republic of Moldova and international cooperation mechanisms with Ukraine are being used.

Violina Moraru, the PG’s communications officer, stated that the criminal investigation was initiated on March 16, following the declaration of an environmental alert in the Dniester River basin and based on other publicly available information. On the same day, the institution also received a complaint from the Promo-LEX Association. Following an investigation, a decision was made on May 4 to initiate criminal proceedings for water pollution, and the case was taken over by the Department for Combating Environmental Crimes within the General Prosecutor’s Office.

According to the PG, currently, information and materials are being requested from the competent public authorities. Also, the available documents, the results of laboratory investigations are being analyzed and other necessary evidence is being administered to determine the impact on the environment and any potential risks to the population’s health.

At the same time, prosecutors are cooperating with the competent authorities in Ukraine, based on international legal assistance mechanisms.

In order not to affect the progress of the investigation, the institution specifies that it cannot make public the evidence administered or the preliminary conclusions of the inquiry.

In turn, the program director of the Promo-LEX Association, Vadim Vieru, told IPN that the organization has been officially informed about the progress of the case and that it continues to monitor how the case is being investigated. According to him, Promo-LEX will monitor whether the law enforcement agencies undertake all necessary measures for a thorough and objective investigation.

The pollution of the Dniester was reported in March, following the attacks on the Nistrean Hydroelectric Complex in Ukraine. In the Republic of Moldova, oil product stains were detected, and the authorities declared an environmental alert and temporarily restricted drinking water supply in several localities.