The administrator of the state-run irrigation company “Statiunea Tehnologica pentru Irigare Cahul” and its sector head were arrested by anticorruption officers and prosecutors on suspicion that they stole steel pipes belonging to the company to an economic entity. This way they caused damage of over 12 000 000 lei to Moldova’s Water Agency, IPN reports.

As a result of investigations, it was established that in 2013-2015 the two employed a scheme to fraudulently sell state property from the irrigation systems of the districts of Cahul, Cantemir, Vulcanesti and Taraclia. These sold metal elements owned by the company and appropriated the gained money.

Two criminal cases were started over appropriation and abuse of power. Officers of the National Anticorruption Center carried out a number of searches in the officers of employees of the Cahul-based company and at the homes of other persons involved in this case and seized pertinent evidence.

There were questioned about 30 witnesses, some of whom admitted that they were told by the two chiefs to transmit steel pipes to an economic entity and were paid by US$100 per tonne of metal.

The two chiefs were placed under arrest for 72 hours initially. They face 8 to 15 years behind bars.