Moldovan Customs Scandal: Bribes and Political Ties
Prime Minister Dorin Recean announced today that a new head of the Customs Service will be appointed in the coming weeks.
While not disclosing potential candidates, the Prime Minister highlighted the unique circumstances of the outgoing director's departure.
"In my recent memory, Mr. Talmazan is the first official to have submitted his resignation out of honour. He explained everything and I really appreciate this gesture of maturity," said Dorin Recean.
Igor Talmazan, Director of the Customs Service, announced his resignation on April 4th following searches at the Chișinău International Airport related to a corruption case. Three customs inspectors were detained as part of the investigation, and later, upon the request of prosecutors, were issued arrest warrants. An additional four suspects are being investigated while at large.
The National Anticorruption Center alleges that the detained customs officers solicited bribes ranging from 50 to 1,000 dollars from passengers. The passengers were allegedly pressured to pay in order to bring goods into or out of the country without paying legally required taxes. The CNA released audio recordings as evidence, in which customs inspectors appear to solicit bribes from passengers.
The daughter of Victoria Cazacu, a deputy of the Party of Action and Solidarity, is among the detained customs officers. The son of Radu Mudreac, a deputy of the Bloc of Communists and Socialists, is also implicated in the corruption case. His son, also a customs inspector, has the status of suspect and is being investigated while at large. The son of former PDM deputy Gheorghe Brașovschi has been placed in pre-trial detention for 30 days.
Igor Talmazan previously served as head of Customs from September 2021 to November 2022. After the fall of the Gavrilița Government, he served as Secretary General of the Government. He returned to lead the Customs Service on February 17, 2023, following a government decision. In 2019, Talmazan held the position of Head of the Prime Minister's Control Corps, and has also served as Head of the State Ecological Inspectorate of the Republic of Moldova and Deputy Minister of Environment.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
