Moldovan prosecutors to bring another charge to 18 judges accomplices in laundering over 20 billion dollars

Chisinau, 29 September /MOLDPRES/ - The Prosecutor General’s Office today got the consent of the Superior Council of Magistracy to open criminal files for other counts against the 15 magistrates and three bailiffs involved in the laundering of 20 billion dollars from Russia through the banking system of Moldova.

According to the PG press service, the notification act presented by the Prosecution and the managed evidence shows that the defendants are charged also with the intentionally delivering of a conclusion breaching the law, which had serious consequences, actions provided for in the Criminal Code. Acting Prosecutor General Eduard Harunjen filed the petition on the issuance of the agreement to start criminal proceedings to CSM on 20 September.

The defendants run the risk of being sentenced to seven years of imprisonment for the second count, with depriving them of the right to hold certain offices or carry out a certain activity during five years.  

Anticorruption prosecutors and officers of the National Anticorruption Centre (CNA) detained 15 magistrates and three bailiffs in Chisinau, as well as in other Moldovan settlements last week. They are suspected of complicity to the laundering of more than 20 billion dollars from Russia through Moldova’s banking system.

Upon prosecutors’ petition, the 18 persons were placed under preventive arrest for 30 days. Ordinances were issues for the 16th judge and one bailiff to declare them on an international wanted list.  

(Reporter P. Beregoi, editor A. Raileanu)