Moldovan economics ministry suspends leadership of Licencing Chamber from office

Chisinau, 22 October /MOLDPRES/ - The Economics Ministry suspended the leadership of the Licencing Chamber from office and ruled to stop the issuance of licences  in the sector of gambling, after taking note of the findings of a topic-related control carried out by the Financial Inspection at the Licencing Chamber.   

According to the Economics Ministry’s press service, the ministry ruled to suspend the leadership of the institution from office till the criminal trial is over. “Taking into account the fact that, among the irregularities discovered, there are suspicions of violation of the national legislation in terms of issuing licences for the kind “activity in the field of gambling”, as well as the lack of control over economic agents, the licences of which have been withdrawn, the Economics Ministry, till the inquiry is completed, ruled to cease the process of issuance of licences in the concerned sector. At the same time, to ensure the work of the Licencing Chamber, the Economics Ministry appointed an interim manager,” reads a press release by the institution.     

The press service of the National Anticorruption Centre (CNA) has earlier informed that five employees of the State Licencing Chamber were detained today morning following an operation carried out by anticorruption prosecutors and CNA officers. The decision-makers, among whom the Chamber’s deputy director, are suspected of having committed a string of frauds when issuing or extending  licences for economic agents, which provide services in the field of gambling. This caused a damage of 15,000,000 lei to the state budget.   

According to information, the employees would have manipulated the e-Licencing electronic system by introducing erroneous information on the issuance, re-processing or extension of licences for owners of casinos or gambling rooms. Following a financial inspection, decision-makers established that, although economic agents presented incomplete packages of documents for getting or extending the licence, some documents having even expired validity term, a favourable resolution was recorded in the e-Licencing electronic system.   

At the same time, irregularities have been discovered also in the collection of payments for the issuance and extension of licences. Following the audit, decision-takers found out that, although the taxes were not paid in time, the economic agents were not paying penalties for delays. For this reason, during the first ten months of 2016, damage worth 15,000,000 lei has been inflicted to the state budget.

A criminal file was opened on this case for abuse of office, and the suspects run the risk of being sentenced for ten years of imprisonment, with deprivation of the right to hold certain offices or exercise a certain activity during 10-15 years.   

(Reporter A. Plitoc, editor M. Jantovan)