Integrity

Hidden properties, businesses and interests of heads of state agencies (I)

Colaj și Foto CIJM. În imagini apar casele și blocurile în care locuiesc Ion Prisăcaru, Valeriu Baciu, Victor Cebotari, Octavian Lungu și Iurie Onică
Author: Mariana Colun
27/01/2016 61419

Governments in Chisinau fell one by one which led to frequent changes in the leadership of state agencies. The Center for Investigative Journalism has previously revealed the property of heads of Ministries. Further, you will see that current directors of agencies contend for properties. We found that one third of them came to public attention as their properties exceeded their real incomes. Half of directors of agencies have profitable businesses and many of them are hidden. Some state directors are listed as managers of their companies, which is prohibited by law.  

Anatolie Ghilas, director of Cadastre, the controversial multimillionaire with profitable businesses 

Anatolie Ghilas. Photo: tribuna.md

Anatolie Ghilas, god-father of the former PM Vlad Filat from first marriage, has been working in the cadastral office in Chisinau for 10 years. Previously, he has served as member of the Court of Accounts. In April 2011, he was designated general director of the Agency for Land Relations and Cadaster. Officially, he receives a salary estimated at about 10.000 lei. His wife has profitable businesses. Galina Ghilas founded 2 companies– Lusmecon S.A., specialized in constructions and which won tenders worth millions of lei, public money, and  Mol-Hart SRL, specialized in services.

In the last statement on incomes and property for 2014, Ghilas declared the sums from his wife’s business: income of 600.000 lei from her salary and other 580.000 lei from dividends, as well as 143.000 lei interest from bank account. The director from the Cadaster declared 3 construction plots inherited or purchased in 2005, 2008 and 2013 respectively. They have a cumulative cadastral value of 220.000 lei. Also, couple Ghilas own an impressive apartment and 3 houses. The apartment which he received in 2009 based on contractor agreement, has a total surface of 100 square meters and a cadastral value of 750.000 lei. A house and 2 auxiliary facilities were received based on deed of donation in 2003. It has a total surface of 177 square meters and is estimated at just 144.000 lei. Another house, with an auxiliary construction, was finished in 2006 and is estimated at 763.000 lei. The third house with 5 auxiliary constructions and with a total surface of 108 square meters was finished in 2009 and has a cadastral value of 214.000 lei.  Market value of the immovable properties of couple Ghilas is much higher.

One of the houses of Anatolie Ghilas. Photo: capture Jurnal TV

As for movable property, the head from Cadaster declared 2 cars GAZ, 1958 and a car BMW, which he bought in 2011, both of them are estimated at 39.000 lei. Family Ghilas has accounts estimated at 3,1 million lei. Except the companies of his wife, director of Cadaster declared shares at S.A. Social Bank.

Over the time, the press wrote both about Anatolie Ghilas and his wife. In May 2014, journalists from Jurnal TV wrote about the luxury houses of the director from Cadaster, which can be easily recognized by the official’s initials, rotating on the façade of the houses. The journalists wrote about the houses from the neighborhood of the family Ghilas, in a district of the small town Codru, where the mother in law and daughter of Anatolie Ghilas live. It is about 2 houses which are not registered at the Cadaster. In November 2014, following the report on the immovable property of the head from Cadaster, the National Integrity Commission performed a search on his name. The case was closed.

One of the houses of Anatolie Ghilas. Photo: capture Jurnal TV

Another investigation carried out by RISE Moldova, pointed that Galina Ghilas is a partner in another company, except the first two which she declared.  Mol-Hart SRL, the company where the wife of the head from Cadaster owns 100%, founded Grinarid SRL, that has a social capital of over 1,2  million lei, and the main activities declared are rental of own immovable property. This one, together with Mol-Hart SRL have their official office in an administrative building on str. Armeneasca in the capital. Journalists from RISE found that Anatolie Ghilas did not declare the quota of 1, 02% (22 500 lei) which he owns at Moldova Leasing SRL, a company that has a social capital estimated at over 2, 2 million lei.

Rise carried out an investigation on the name of the wife of the director from Cadaster. Thus, in the case „Codrii Shorheiului”, the journalists wrote that based on a governmental decision, companies Furset SRL and Mol-Hart SRL are co-owners of  2,4  hectares of agricultural land placed near the summer camp Andries.  They exchanged 5 hectares of agricultural land. When the transaction happened in 2013, Galina Ghilas, the wife of the head from Cadastre was the only partner of the company  Mol-Hart.

Another investigation on the name of Galina Ghilas reveals the businesses which she has with the state. Thus, journalists from Clean Moldova portal found that the company of the wife of the director of the Agency for Land Relations and Cadaster won 2 tenders in 2012 and 2013 and signed agreements estimated at over 183 million lei for repairing the road Rezina-Orhei-Calarasi. According to the audit performed by the Court of Accounts, the company performed works at high prices and violated the terms of execution. Contrary to these unrules, the State Roads Administration (ASD) has not applied any sanction to the company that has not completed its contractual commitments so far, wrote the journalists.

Viorel Mosneaga, director “landowner” at the Public Procurement Agency, with profitable tenders won by his family

Viorel Mosneaga. Photo: CIJM

Viorel Mosneaga was appointed deputy director at the Public Procurement Agency (AAP) on November 21, 2013, after in the period 2003-2013, he activated in the field of procurement at the Division of finance of national economic, capital expenditures and public procurement within the Ministry of Finance (MF). Half a year later, on March 10, 2015, he became interim director and a month and half later, on April 21, 2015- director of this institution.  In July 2015, Viorel Mosneaga was subjected to a control on behalf of the National Integrity Commission (CNI) that has detected several irregularities in completing the official declaration on income and property (2013). The case was closed. According to the act of finding of CNI, "Mr. Mosneaga Viorel said that omissions and mistakes on the statement for 2013 were admitted from ignorance and not of the intention to conceal or hide owned properties, all omissions are declared in the statement for 2014".

In that statement, Mosneaga declared 60 plots registered on his or his wife’s name, purchased or obtained by exchanging land in the period 2010-2014. The land owned by family Mosneaga covers an area of 46 hectares, with a cumulative cadastral value of half a million lei. Its market value is much higher. The lands are located in the villages Tudora and Crocmaz, district Stefan Voda. Couple Mosneaga owns a three-bedroom apartment with an area of 48.3 square meters, located on str. Independentei in Chisinau, purchased in 2005 by the mother in law of the director of the Public Procurement Agency, Liudmila Ganenco and offered in the same year, based on deed of donation, to her daughter Viorica Ganenco, Viorel Mosneaga’s wife, two cars - an Audi A6, purchased in 2008 at the price of 130 thousand lei and a car Toyota Yaris purchased in 2013 at the price of 60 thousand lei. In 2014, Viorel Mosneaga declared income from salary estimated at 90 thousand lei, and a sum of 85 thousands lei from the office of representative of the state in 3 companies.  In his declarations on incomes and property, director of AAP declared that he did not own any company. Data from the State Registration Chamber show that neither he nor his wife are official owners of SRLs.

A recent investigation of the Center for Investigative Journalism, carried out together with Ziarul de Garda reveals that Viorel Mosneaga’s sister founded a company that won tenders estimated at millions of lei. Company „Aldos Grup” SRL was founded in 2005 by the sister of the Director from Procurement, Diana Cotruta when she was 21 and by her partner Ion Avram. The main activity of this SRL is construction works, and in 2012, the company declared over 2, 6 million lei from sales. According to the information from the website of AAP, www.tender.gov.md, from 2011 up to present, the company won about 20 public tenders. When Viorel Mosneaga was promoted  from the Ministry of Finance to the office of deputy director of AAP (November 2013), the agreements signed by the company of the family with the state and approved by the Agency increased by over half of millions of lei. In all, in the period 2014-2015, since Viorel Mosneaga manages APP, the company of his family „Aldos Grup” signed 8 agreements amounted at 34, 9 million lei, with many state institutions.

The biggest agreement won by „Aldos Grup”, estimated at 10,3 million lei was registered at AAP recently, on October 6, 2015. This agreement stipulates the construction by „Aldos Grup” of the aqueduct for water supply in the village Slobozia, district Stefan Voda. Otherwise, the results of this tender were contested by two participant companies, „Uralis” SRL and „Litarcom” SRL, and the Public Procurement Agency, headed by Viorel Mosneaga rejected their pretentions. In all, 6 of the most valuable 7 agreements attributed to the company „Aldos Grup” following the public tenders, were not contested by other participants.

Viorel Mosneaga said that he did not know details about the company Aldos Grup. „It is very strange that you relate a certain company to my family or with me. I and my wife do not own any company. I have never had a company in my life. I admit that it is registered on my sister’s name but I am not informed on the activities of my sister or brother. I have a sister and a brother, they have their families. My sister immigrates to Canada on February 29. I know this. I know that she together with my brother they started some activities”, said Viorel Mosneaga. I asked him how he explains the fact that the company won millions of lei after he was elected director of the Agency. „Certainly, this is a misinterpretation”, said the official. I presented him many concrete data, including names and figures related to the contestations of the companies that participate in the tenders won by the company of his family. „ I am sorry; I do not want to comment. It is not right to comment. I am not informed. I do not know. It is a company like any others. I did not have any influence. To my knowledge, they established a company...” said  Viorel Mosneaga.

Tudor Balitchi, head of the Customs Service, luxury apartment on the name of his sister and plots on his mother’s name  

Tudor Balitchi. Photo: tribuna.md

Tudor Balitchi has been head of the Customs Service since December 2009. An investigation of the Center for Investigative Journalism carried out together with Ziarul de Garda reveals that the real property of Balitchi’s family is much higher than that declared in the statements by the head of the Customs Service. For example in the 2012 statement, Balitchi showed an annual income from salary estimated at 148.000 lei, 2 plots, 1 plot with trees and another one with a garden, with a cadastral value estimated at just 40.000 lei, an apartment bought in 1995 with a surface of 61, 7 square meters and a facility of almost 2 square meters estimated at 1.5000 lei, accounts with 10.000 euros and shares in 4 companies, which according to the statement, did not bring any incomes.

His latest statement on property, for 2014 contains more consistent data but seems to be "modest".  The Head of the Customs Service got married for the second time in November 2013 and included in the 2014 statement, in addition to that from 2012, an apartment of 64 square meters purchased in 2014, four plots of land, of which 2 gardens and 2 unproductive plots of land purchased  during 2014-2015, all of them with a cadastral value of about 160 thousand lei,  and a car Toyota RAV 4, made in 2010, bought in 2013, with a value of 2000 Euros "based on the document certifying the origin". Also, Balitchi said that he sold his shares of a SRL against 2340 lei and his wife sold the shares of a company and got 92500 lei. Also, he gained 703,000 lei from shares of social capital of a SRL. Balitchi family claims that they got a sum of 6750 Euros from rental of a real estate. Regarding companies, the number remained the same like in 2012, but we found out that he renounced on some of them and other new companies were founded by his wife.

Officially, data from the State Registration Chamber (SRC) report that in October 2015 Tudor Balitchi is the founder of two companies: SRL "Dorusa Lux" and SRL "Euro Schimb". The first company was registered by him in 2001 together with Feodora Cocerva in an apartment on Str. Socoleni, both of them own 50% of shares. The main kind of activity of this SRL is services of hairdresser and beauty, an activity that in 2012 brought an income of 14,600 lei to founders.

Other company, SRL "Euro Schimb” founded by Balitchi, is a currency exchange office located on str. Ion Creanga in Chisinau. Tudor Balitchi contributed with a sum of 150 thousand lei in this business and holds 30% of shares in social capital. The partners of the head of Customs Service are Eduard Banaruc, General Deputy Secretary of the Government (30%), Serghei Dolgopolov (20%), who owns other two exchange houses, Svetlana, Anastasia and Elizaveta Sidorenco, sharing other 20% and they have other companies that own currency exchange offices. According to the latest financial report submitted by the economic unit, in 2012, he had sale revenues estimated at 11.39 million lei.

Tudor Balitchi’s sister, Mariana Balitchi-Koegel, has been living in the US. In 2011 she bought a 4-room apartment with a surface of 204, 5 square meters (!) on str. Gr. Alexandrescu in Chisinau. This apartment has a cadastral value estimated in 2004 at 1,39 million lei; its market value is much higher. The building with this apartment is located near the entrance to the Exhibition Center "Moldexpo" and the apartment is not used by Mariana Balitchi-Koegel, but by the head of the Customs Service, Tudor Balitchi. The information was confirmed to us by employees and residents of this building.

Although she left Moldova, this summer on 13 May 2015 Balitchi Tudor's sister has bought land for building a house on the street. Chicago, which is officially placed in Stauceni. In reality, the land is located on the outskirts of Chisinau, near sector Rascani. The land has an area of 30 acres or 3,000 square meters, where it is possible to build at least four houses. Those who sell land in this region say that one acre would cost between 7 and 10 thousand Euros. Therefore, a simple calculation shows that the land of Baltichi’s sister has a market price of about 200 thousand Euros, over 4 million lei. A few hundred meters away from Mariana Balitchi’s land near the str. Stejarilor, this summer, Tudor Balitchi’s mother, Valentina became owner of some plots for construction of houses. On April 10, 2015, she bought from businessman Gheorghe Stepuleac two adjoining plots with a surface of 7.44 acres. On April 28, she bought another plot, about 12 acres and a month later, on May 18, 2015, she bought an adjoining plot of almost 9 acres. This time, the seller was Serghei Nastas, head of State Enterprise "Posta Moldova". In all, in just a month, the mother of the head at the Customs Service bought 36 acres of land.

Members of CNI performed a control following an investigation of CIJM and Ziarul de Garda that revealed details about Balitchi’s property. The case was closed. "I declare that in my office of head of Customs Service, I have never influenced the activity of the enterprises where I and my wife or our relatives own shares. The customs procedures are completed by customs officers within the customs offices, in conformity with the customs legislation in force and other customs payers with the help of the automated information system ", said Tudor Balitchi, according to the act of finding recently published on the website of CNI.  

Ion Prisacaru, head from State Tax Inspectorate with huge property and profitable companies

Ion Prisacaru. Photo: tribuna.md

Ion Prisacaru was elected head of the State Tax Inspectorate in May 2013. Also, he served as head of the Tax Inspectorate in the period 1995-1998. Then, he worked as economic director at Tutun CTC and then head-manager of the audit company Ecofin. During his mandate at the FISC (State Tax Inspectorate), Prisacaru was accused several times of allegedly compromising the state, misusing public money. Thus, immediately after he was promoted for this office, Sergiu Ostaf, director of the Resource Center for Human Rights said that Prisacaru was part of several decisions of the Court of Accounts, about the misuse of public funds. Also, according to the data of the Association “Clean Moldova”, in April and July 2009, Prisacaru filed income statements that showed discrepancies of incomes and properties. Recently, in October 2015, Iurie Leanca demanded Prisacaru’s resignation, on grounds that he does not work for public interest and he does not prove impartiality as he owns an auditing and Consultancy Company in Moldova that renders services like: „assuming all interactions with fiscal bodies”, „analysis of possibilities to minimize tax imposition”. Chairman of PPEM (European People’s Party in Moldova) pointed out that some the clients of the company Ecofin are the biggest tax payers to the state budget, including companies with foreign capital, state enterprises and joint stock companies.

The house of Ion Prisacaru. Photo: CIJM

A recent statement on property and incomes, for 2014 declares Ion Prisacaru as a prosperous businessman with an impressive property. He reported an annual salary of 147.000 lei, other 657.000 lei dividends from companies where he has shares: Ecofin-Audit-Service SRL, specialized in audit and Ecofin-Consult-Evaluare SRL, specialized in assessment. The official has a plot with a surface of 0,13 hectares purchased in 2008 and estimated at 1,15 million lei, an apartment with a surface of 85 square meters with a cadastral value of 466.000  lei and a house with a surface of 2013 square meters, estimated at over 2 million lei. Also, the head from FISC owns a car Mazda purchased in 1999 at the price of 36.000 lei.

The newspaper Ziarul de Garda wrote about Prisacaru’s properties. The journalists reported that the audit company Ecofin-Audit-Service SRL, whose general director is Ion Prisacaru, signed agreements and provided services to many state institutions, including  SA Mol­dova Gaz, SA Red Union Fenosa, SA Moldtelecom, SA Tutun-CTC, State Enterprise Center of Special Telecommunication and the State Enterprise Fiscservinform, an institution founded by State Tax Inspectorate.

According to the Chamber of State Registration, wife of the head from the State Tax Inspectorate Maria Prisacaru is manager at the Subsidiary “REMIZ” of BC Moldindconbank SA, and his son Viorel Prisacaru, founded 6 companies that handle audit activities, activities with restaurants, bars, accommodation, rental of water transportation without crew. According to data from Cadaster, Ion Prisacaru has debts to 2 banks from the Republic of Moldova estimated at 5, 6 million lei. He took a credit estimated at 4, 4 lei from Moldindconbank, a bank that is managed by his wife and another credit from Victoriabank. To this effect, ion Prisacaru pledged the luxury house from str. Pietrarilor and the apartment from str. Mihail Sadoveanu.

Viorica Carare ensures luxury at Competition Council

Viorica Carare. Photo: agepi.md

Viorica Carare is the president of the Competition Council as of July 2013. Previously, in 2006, she served as general director of the National Institute of Economy, Finance and Statistics. In the period 2007-2012, she was general director of the National Agency for the Protection of Competition.  Journalists and the Court of Accounts revealed the funds management within the Competition Council. Under a meeting of the Court of Accounts held  in spring 2015, aimed to examine the report of  audit performance at the Competition Council, they identified serious violations related to remuneration, awards giving and space rental for this institution. The Court of Accounts said that under austere conditions, when the allowances of many budgetary institutions are cut, the leadership of the Competition Council flourishes. In spite of the recommendations of the Ministry of Finances, it leases a very expensive space. 37% from the budget of the institution for 2014 amounted at 8, 5 million lei was allocated for rental and payment of bills. One employee at the Competition Council gets 95.000 lei annually. Also, the head of the Competition Council has an office with a total surface of about 100 square meters.

Another investigation carried out on the name of Viorica Carare relates to her activity at the National Institute of Economy. In the investigation titled „Octopus: Who tenses the situation in Moldova?”, journalists from Timpul wrote that since 2006, the minister of Economy Igor Dodon harmed the state budget with a sum of 3,5 million lei with the help of the Institute of Economy, Finance and Statistics (IEFS) of the Science Academy and of the Ministry of Economy.  Though they have not organized any scientific activity at the Institute, many deputy heads at the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, National Agency for the Protection of Competition, from the Moldova Science Academy and a presidential adviser - Oxana Domenti – had the possibility to get the second job well paid by the state. In the period March 17-April 8, the general Division of control and revision of the Center for Economic Crimes and Corruption Combat (old name CCCEC, current National Anticorruption Center) carried out the „ thematic economic-financial control on using as intended the public funds and observation of the limits of expenditures set for the period 2007-2008 within IEFS”, wrote the journalists. Following the control, the former director of the institute Viorica Carare, Anatol Caragangiu, husband of Viorica Carare and Petru Carare, Viorica Carare’s son, paid a sum of 200.000 lei to the state. CCCEC found that since the new scientific structure was created, the governmental groups knew about schemes of money laundering, all contests were assumed and were won by the companies of Caraganciu/Carare. In spite of all these, the institution was prevented from controls.

In the statement on incomes and property in 2014, Viorica Carare declared a salary worth 327.000 lei.  Her family owns a plot purchased in 2005 with a cadastral value of 111.000 lei, 2 houses with a surface of 76, 9 and 85, 7 square meters purchased in 2005 and 2010 respectively. One of them was estimated at 386.000 lei and another one, situated in Romania is estimated at 200.822 RON.  Viorica Carare’s family owns an apartment with a surface of 50 square meters, estimated at 280.0000 lei. Also, in 2014, her family bought a car Toyota, at the price of 473.000 lei. Carare said that she had not founded any company, and the data from the State Registration Chamber confirm it.

Lilia Bolocan, from AGEPI to Bureau of  Interethnic Relations  

Lilia Bolocan. Photo: tribuna.md

Lilia Bolocan is historian and PhD in Psychology by profession. In December 2009, she was elected head of the State Agency on Intellectual Property of the Republic of Moldova (AGEPI). In 2010 she gets a mandate of MP in PLDM but she renounced on this office. When she was director of the Agency, Bolocan implemented many important reforms for intellectual property. For example, the Agreement between the Government and the European Union on the protection of Geographical Indications of agricultural and food products was signed in 2012. This document was enforced in April 2013. This Agreement aims to ensure, based on principles of reciprocity, the protection of geographical indications of the Republic of Moldova in all EU states based on a unique registration procedures of the geographical indications in the country. In 2013, the Republic of Moldova signed with the European Patent Organization an Agreement to validate European patents on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. The approval and the implementation of this project facilitate the access to protection based on patents in the Republic of Moldova and enables, for the applicants and owners of European patents, the recognition of their effects on the territory of Moldova. In October 2015, Lilia Bolocan was elected head of the Bureau of Interethnic Relations.

Though she got a decent salary from AGEPI, Lilia Bolocan did not get many properties during her mandate. According to the last income statement for 2014, Bolocan received a salary worth 585.000 lei from AGEPI. Also, in 2014 she received based on deed of donation, a plot with a cadastral value of about 107.000 lei. The current director from the Bureau of Interethnic Relations has had an apartment in 2012 with a surface of 75, 5 square meters, estimated at half of million lei. Officially, she does not own any cars or companies.

Alexei Secrieru, from CCCEC  to Financial Inspection

Alexei Secrieru. Photo: if.gov.md

Alexei Secrieru was elected director of the Financial Inspection in late December 2013. Previously, Secrieru has not served in the field of finance. He has worked for a ten year period within the Center for Economic Crimes and Corruption Combat where he was promoted to the office of deputy director of the institution. He renounced on his office after the institution was reorganized.

The declaration on incomes and property for 2014 of Alexei Secrieru writes that he is one of the wealthiest directors of agency. Thus, he declared incomes worth 211.000 lei from the salary of the Agency and the pension from the National Anticorruption Center. Also, together with his wife, who is a prosecutor within the Prosecutor’s office of Rascani sector of the capital, they own 2 houses, 2 apartments and a garage. A house with a surface of 94, 6 square meters with a cadastral value of about 73.000 lei, was purchased in 2009 and the second one, with a surface of 70 square meters and with an auxiliary construction with a surface of 22, 4 square meters, with an official value of just 17.000 lei, was inherited in 2014. In 2009, based on investment agreement, Secrieru became owner of an apartment with a surface of 79 square meters, with a cadastral value of almost half of million lei. Two years later, in 2011, based on another investment agreement, he got a garage with a surface of 17, 5 square meters estimated at 35.000 lei. One year later, in 2012, the family of the official gets an apartment with a surface of 182, 3 square meters. As for movable property, director of the Financial Inspection declared a car Volvo purchased in 2013 at the price of 565.000 lei. Also, Secrieru declared that he owns shares at S.A. Bere Unitanc.

Vladislav Zara, director of the Agency of Medicaments, with an undeclared company

Vladislav Zara. Photo: gov.md

Alexandru Coman from the Agency of Medicaments was replaced by Vladislav Zara, who was director of Centru Bus Terminal. According to the income statement for 2013, Zara has a modest life and does not have a house. Things have changed in 2014, when Zara received a salary estimated at 264.000 lei, incomes from selling a car  of 25.000 euro and other 10.000 euro – gift from parents. This money was used to buy in leasing a new car BMW worth 40.000 euros. In 2014, family Zara received an apartment as gift. It has s surface of 117 square meters with a cadastral value of 743.000 lei and. These are not the only properties of family Zara. An investigation carried out by the journalists of the Center for Investigative Journalists revealed that the official has not declared the company of his wife in the statement on incomes and properties. According to the data from the State Registration Chamber, the wife of the former head from „Gari si Statii Auto” (“Bus Terminal and Stations”), Evelina Zara, is founder and manager at Artbutic SRL, that has been activating under the name of "Vivi Art Butic” and is specialized in events organization. The official did not declare his wife’s company in the statement on incomes and property for 2014.

Petru Maleru, former head from AIPA with undeclared villa and plots

Petru Maleru. Photo: tv7.md

Petru Maleru was appointed head at the Payments and Intervention Agency for Agriculture (AIPA) in October 2010. He was involved in a scandal on the subventions for agriculture. The portal Anticoruptie wrote that the farmer paid almost 200 million lei over the last years to benefit from subsidies in agriculture. Representatives of farmers assert that functionaries from AIPA forced them to bribe – 20% from the sum of the subsidies. The former minister of Agriculture Vasile Bumacov spoke about the corruption in the system. He said that AIPA has not been under the control of the Ministry since 2014. The former minister said that he tried to liquidate all corruption schemes but he was threatened. The General Prosecutor’s office announced that it had initiated 34 criminal cases for fraudulent use of subsidy fund of farmers, after many irregularities were found in this field. According to law bodies, the criminal cases related to the falsification and presentation at the Payments and Intervention Agency for Agriculture of documents about the implementation of the investment and demand of the subsidies to purchase new equipment, which was actually used. Also, there were presented false data about the investment: the authorities issued documents confirming the making of the investment, but contrary to legal proceedings, the investment costs were inflated in order to increase the amount of aid requested from AIPA. Petru Maleru then denied the allegations of corruption made in the press by the former Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vasile Bumacov and by many farmers. "All the accusations are lies invented by Bumacov and his group, because I refused to promote their own interests," said Maleru. He argues that, in fact, Bumacov embezzled subsidy funds for agriculture.

In January 2015, CNI performed a search on the name of head from AIPA and found that Petru Maleru did not show in his statement on property and income for 2013 the salary of his wife estimated at about 30.000 lei, 5 immovable properties, a car, 6 bank accounts and 50% shares in an enterprise. In the recent statement on income for 2014, Maleru declared 4 agricultural plots and 2 plots within the built-up areas with a cadastral value of about 18.000 lei; 2 apartments with a surface of 43 and 36, 6 square meters respectively, with a cadastral value of 335.000 lei; and a villa of almost 80 square meters, estimated at 458.000 lei, which he bought in 2014. The functionary owns 2 cars: a Volkswagen and a Nissan, for which he paid about 17.000 lei (!). Also, head from AIPA owns 50% from the social capital in the company Arabica-Lux SRL, specialized in public food.

On January 18, current year Petru Maleru resigned from the office of Payments and Intervention Agency for Agriculture.

Grigore Porcescu, head from ANSA, with a modest property officially declared  

Grigore Porcescu. Photo: noi.md

Grigore Porcescu was appointed head of the National Agency for Food Safety (ANSA) in September 2014. He has experience of 15 years in the field of food safety. In the declaration on incomes and property for 2013, he did not declare any car, house or shares in a company. He owns 2 plots with a cadastral value of 2.300 lei. In May 2015, CNI started an investigation on the name of Porcescu, as he was suspected of having omitted certain properties from the income statement. Thus, member of CNI found that the functionary did not declare the ownership by bailment of a car Toyota Land Cruiser and Renault Megane, registered on his wife’s name. Also, the head from ANSA has not declared a facility with a surface of 44, 8 square meters with cadastral value of 66.000 lei and an apartment with the surface of 50, 7 square meters estimated at 280.000 lei. Also, the functionary hid the income from salary estimated at about 93.000 lei and the income of his wife in 2013 estimated at about 32.000 lei. Following the control, CNI was supposed to send the act of finding to the General Prosecutor’s Office. In the next statement, for 2014, Porcescu declared an apartment with a surface of 70 sq. meters estimated at 300.000 lei.

(To be continued)

This investigation was carried out within the Campaign "Journalists for Transparency in Public Funds’ Management" organized by the Center for Investigative Journalism, with the support of the Good Governance Program of Soros Foundation Moldova. The financing institution does not influence in any way the subject and content of published investigations. 

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