Chisinau City Hall former head of department and businessman detained for corruption charges
A former interim head of the Buiucani Education, Youth and Sport Department and a businessman were detained for 72 hours by CNA officers and anti-corruption prosecutors following raids this morning. The two are suspected of fraud in public procurement procedures.
In the criminal proceedings, it was found that the administrator of a construction company, having a prior agreement with public persons from the General Directorate of Education, Youth and Sport (DGETS) and the Chisinau territorial directorates responsible for the public procurement process, offered, and the latter accepted and received financial means to designate the company as the winner in the tenders for the purchase of repair works for preschool, primary, secondary and out-of-school education institutions organised by DGETS.
The economic agent participated in the tenders organised by the DGETS and the Chisinau territorial directorates, according to the case materials, proposing the lowest price for the services, thus becoming the winner. Subsequently, the company would intervene by requesting an increase in the cost of the services provided, and the public bodies would accept an increase in their budgets of up to 50% of the initial cost in exchange for illicit remuneration.
As a result of an agreement between the interim head of DETS Buiucani and the administrator of the construction company, the latter obtained the contract for the provision of services for the repair of access ramps in 9 educational institutions. As a reward, the economic agent allegedly paid the operationi the sums of 174 thousand and 52 thousand lei.
At the same time, the winner of the contract allegedly passed on 20 thousand lei to an engineer of the Buiucani Education, Youth and Sport Directorate, and another 25 thousand lei to the DETS Ciocana engineer for approving unsatisfactory construction work and for favouring the economic agent to obtain new contracts.
The suspects were detained following searches of the homes, cars and offices of officials from DETS Buiucani, DETS Ciocana and the construction company's decision-makers.
