CIJM investigation revealing a scheme by which a pond in Taraclia became private property, in the attention of prosecutors

Anticoruptie.md
07/03/2017
Captură: CIJM

Taraclia prosecutor's office started a criminal case on abuse of power by officials of the territorial cadastral Office Taraclia, after the pond from this town became private property illegally. This case was revealed a year ago by the authors of an investigation carried out under a project of the Center for Investigative Journalism in Moldova.

The investigation revealed that town Taraclia may remain without pond that protected it from floods after the public good came into the possession of chairman of the cooperative "Rodina Nova", by a decision of the Economic Court issued in 2011. While the Mayor’s office of the town tried to recover lost property and prosecutors have struggled for five years to find how this lake became private property, the businessman put the lake on sale. Reporters have discovered the whole scheme, after posing as buyers and filmed everything with a hidden camera.

The criminal case was initiated on February 17, 2017. According to prosecutors, registration of the pond on the name of the cooperative "Rodina Nova” resulted in serious consequences for public interest. Moreover, a decision of the Economic Court in 2011 established that the aspirations of the cooperative are unfounded and the request on  property registration was rejected. Accordingly, the right of the local council Taraclia over this property was supposed to be recovered, but it did not happen. In a document signed by prosecutor Sergiu Lefter, law enforcement calls on local government and representatives of the State Chancellery to take action and solve the problem.

Journalists faced with pressure immediately after the investigation was published. Police Inspectorate in Taraclia ordered the questioning of journalists and confiscation of all materials which served as basis of an investigation about the lake in the town that became private property, through a dubious scheme. The provision was issued by police, after the owner of lake in Taraclia Serghei Chiose filed a complaint claiming that the journalists would have provoked him intentionally to a discussion about his personal life and family members.

Media organizations have condemned the abusive actions against investigative journalists and demanded resignation of persons from state institutions who have committed actions of persecution and authoritarian coercion. CIJM regards the actions of the police as abuse and direct attack on press freedom. Also, the Center for Investigative Journalism asked the Interior Ministry and General Prosecutor’s Office to come up with a response.  As a result, the Interior Ministry ordered an investigation to elucidate the circumstances of the incident.

Later, Taraclia prosecutor's office issued an order terminating prosecution, as elements of the offence stipulated by the Criminal Code are missing.  Also, Speaker Andrian Candu sent a resolution to the General Prosecutor's Office  and called on prosecutors to investigate how the pond  became private property. 

Anticoruptie.md
07/03/2017




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