Billion bank fraud, illegal affairs protected by officials, inadequate work conditions and serious violations of human rights, domestic violence, as well as doubtful provision of magistrates with apartments were most read investigations, carried out by the Center for Investigative Journalism in Moldova in 2018.

„50 shadows” of the billion bank fraud case. 

“Shor case” , „Filat  case” and  „Platon case” - are  3 criminal cases that prosecutors invoke every time they are asked to investigate the billion bank fraud. These files had different "destinies" since the start of criminal prosecution, and their investigation and prosecution revealed selective justice schemes in Moldova. Several procedural violations, abuses by prosecutors and judges, ill-treatment, and human rights violations in custody and detention were registered in 2 of these cases.

Former Prime Minister Vladimir Filat and controversial businessman Veaceslav Platon have been sentenced to years of imprisonment. In Shor case, the first targeted in a criminal case on the fraud from Banca de Economii, Banca Sociala and Unibank, the investigation has "frozen" on the judges' bench while Shor enjoys freedom.

Giurgiulesti business. The damaging provisions of a concealed agreement and favors at will given to the investors.

More than a decade after the century-old business in Moldova, suspicions continue to arise around the Giurgiulesti Free International Port (PILG). The team of the Center for Investigative Journalism managed to publish for the first time the Investment Agreement on the International Free Port "Giurgiulesti", concealed by the authorities. The investigation reveals how several businessmen who have invested in the Free International Port Giurgiulesti (PILG) enjoy generous tax benefits from the Moldovan state. For example, Bemol Retail Company, in its eight-year period between 2007 and 2014, benefited from fees of about 1557.9 million lei, but failed to meet its obligations. The General Investor, Danube Logistics, pays, according to the 2004 Investment Agreement, an annual fee of just $ 1,000 for the 120-hectare plot lease for a period of 99 years, out of which it got only 55 hectares.

In addition, this and its customers are exempted from paying the fees and charges for harbour port and port facilities, excluding shipments, which are calculated and paid based on US $ 0.0062 per cubic meter of the volume ship. Moldovan state granted tax incentives to PILG residents until 2030. The Investment Agreement on the International Free Port "Giurgiulesti" was signed on 29 December 2004 by Marián Lupu on behalf of the Government of Moldova, with three companies – Azpetrol SRL (current Bemol Retail SRL), Azertrans SRL (Danube Logistic SRL), Azpetrol Refinery SRL (Bemol Refinery SRL), the then subsidiaries of Azpetrol Oil Services Group B.V. In 2004, Marian Lupu, current member of the Democratic Party was Minister of Economy and was part of the communist power.

The government acts for this agreement were issued by the current president Igor Dodon, serving the Ministry of Economy at that time, succeeding in 2015 Marian Lupu at the Ministry.  In the years ahead, Igor Dodon, the then Minister of Economy and Trade, was appointed responsible for the construction of the passenger port.

VIDEO // "Made in Moldova". Sacrifices and wrongdoings hidden behind brand clothes Moldova.

Major manufacturers of brands as well as investors with important financial resources in the West use the cheap labour force from Moldova, but they do not always provide good working conditions and decent wages. In some factories in Moldova the employees, mostly women, are badly paid and the working conditions do not meet the norms of the developed countries. The investigation reveals bad practices at one of the Moldovan clothing factories, with British investments. Employees of Floreana Fashion in Floresti, specialized in designer clothes in Europe, tell about the horrible working conditions. Here is what one of the employees says: "It's hard to work, especially in the summer, when it's very hot, there are fans that just spin the hot air. If you drink too much water, it's a problem. You are not allowed to go to the toilet during work; it will charge you immediately, with salary cut. There were cases when women fainted during work or miscarried ".

VIDEO // The state that kills its citizens. Over 200 work accidents, including 26 workplace deaths, are not investigated.

The state does almost nothing to force employers to ensure work safety, in spite of the frequent working accidents that happen in Moldova. In November 2017, 3 workers from the stone mine in Pascani, Criuleni, were killed by a ceiling  that crashed over them, and in January 2018 4 employees from the State Enterprise "Posta Moldovei" died in a serious road accident,  that happened near Mihăilenii Vechi village. The procedure for reporting, investigation and evidence of the working accidents suffered by these workers was not clearly established. Or, the immediate investigation of accidents with employees in the workplace is necessary for the objective determination of the circumstances and the causes of their occurrence and is nothing more than the provision of social protection of the victim. Following the publication of the investigation in June 2018, authorities have temporarily requested the State Labour Inspectorate to investigate serious and fatal labour accidents.

Women victims of domestic violence, facing alone the aggressors and the justice system - another investigation that reveals system through which the victims of violence go though, in order to escape the abusive environment and to hold the  abusers accountable. Victims of domestic violence, mostly women, often depend on a justice system that does not protect them and does not show leniency when out of despair they try to defend themselves or counter-attack, say lawyers and human rights activists.

The investigation reveals the case of a woman who had the courage to report abuse, to initiate two criminal trials on domestic violence. She reported on the problems she faced to the police, prosecution or courts on the Corruption Map on the Anticoruptie.md portal of the Center for Investigative Journalism. The case of this woman is similar to other hundreds of cases of other women facing the justice system where, as in the case of  other patriarchal societies in the area, discrimination and the double standard applied to men and women committing acts of violence affects the priorities of police, prosecutors and judges. Reporters of the Center for Investigative Journalism analysed the procedures that women face under domestic violence and reached the conclusion that the system that should protect them is far from being friendly.

The investigation “Women victims of domestic violence, facing alone the aggressors and the justice system” was awarded at the end of 2018 at a national contest run by UN Women Moldova and the Association of Independent Press. The authors of the investigation Natalia Porubin and Cornelia Cozonac have won the first prize in the contest for professionalism in addressing gender equality-related issues.

Magistrates and the "business" with the apartments at bargain price.

Several magistrates bought apartments at preferential prices after which they sold them at market price. They came into possession of new homes, obtained at bargain prices. Apartments at much lower prices than the market price were partly built on state money and were bought by employees in the judiciary, which would have low salaries, like the budgetaries.

Some of the magistrates had two or three houses, but they asked to be included in the list of those who needed housing. Reporters of the Center for Investigative Journalism revealed the list of bargain priced apartments owned by the magistrates and found that some did not need housing, some sold them quickly, and others left the system shortly after they had increased living space. Also, there are magistrates who "forgot" to include new real estate acquisitions in their wealth statements.