Veaceslav Șevciuc, the representative of about 20 customers affected by the heist at the Moldova-Agroindbank, claims that they believe the criminal offense was organized inside the bank. As they say it also demonstrates that alarm and video surveillance systems have been disconnected.
In a press conference held at IPN, Veaceslav Șevciuc said the bank has called on depositors to keep their money in safe boxes and has guaranteed the integrity of their content. "After depositing our money to this bank, we have complained to the bank about the breach of safety, namely: installation by the bank of the video tracking machine in the safety box, which violated the confidentiality of the deposit operations. Customers were constantly monitored through the video camera, they see what they put in the safety box," Veaceslav Șevciuc said.
According to him, the systematic disconnection of electricity in the safety box was also claimed. "In our complaints, the bank has assured us that we can keep our money safe. Shortly after we received the bank's assurances, on July 6 of this year, at 5 pm, the bank informed us by SMS that our safety boxes had been broken and our money had been stolen", said the representative of affected customers.
The bank promised to affected customers compensation of up to MDL 1 million for each. Veaceslav Șevciuc says that at the first stage the bank offered them 500,000 lei, and when the customers asked for the second part, they were told to wait for the thieves to be found first.
"We have found that the bank has not honored its commitment to customers. To this abusive and cunning behavior of the bank, we, the affected persons, inform that we found the thief: the thief is Moldova-Agroindbank. When talking about the thief Moldova-Agroindbank, we do not look at a person or persons within the bank. At the present stage, we incriminate the Moldova-Agroindbank as a legal entity, who committed with certainty two offenses: organizing the heist of safety boxes and serious criminal negligence in securing the preservation of valuables of the customers," Veaceslav Șevciuc said.
Affected customers are asking the Ministry of Internal Affairs to initiate criminal prosecution for the MAIB. Veaceslav Șevciuc said that millions of Moldovan lei were stolen, "money earned for years, working in Moldova and abroad". "Today we are starting protests that will increase in intensity and will only be concluded after we receive the full compensation. We ask all citizens, the press, the State authorities to join us, to support us, not to let another case happen in which a bank is mocking of citizens in such a bad way," Veaceslav Șevciuc added.
Protests will be held in front of the MAIB headquarters.
