Eight members of criminal ring to be investigated for money laundering, tax evasion

Chisinau, 8 November /MOLDPRS/- Eight members of a criminal ring will be investigated for money laundering and tax evasion in especially large amount. Prosecutor Nadejda Busuioc made the statement today.

Eight private people, criminal ring’s members, and six legal entities are targeted on this case. An employee of the State Main Fiscal Inspectorate is among the accused persons, being investigated for abuse of service. He was suspended from office upon the request of prosecutors.

Investigation officer Vitalie Procopii said the suspects aged between 25-45 years had conducted several schemes in accounting, financial and fiscal sector. “They were selling products without registering the revenues from beneficiaries and conducted fraudulent transactions later,” Procopii said.

The law enforcement officers noted that in February-October 2016, a string of wiretaps had been conducted, 54 searches at the companies’ headquarters, as well as at homes of suspects. “As a result, documents have been found on fictitious trades amounting to 65 million lei/about 3 million euros/, without paying the VAT of 9 million lei. Later, movable and immovable assets amounting to about 2.5 million lei had been seized,” Prosecutor Veaceslav Cernalev said.

They were accused under the article of pseudo entrepreneurship, punishable by 1,000-2,000 conventional units (50-100 thousands lei) or imprisonment up to 3 years, the tax evasion – they run the risk of being fined from 3,000-5,000 conventional units (150-250 thousands lei) or imprisonment up to 6 years, and money laundering in especially large amount – 5-10 years in prison for private people and fine worth 13,000-16,000 conventional units (650-800 thousands lei) for legal entities.

At the same time, the public employee runs the risk of 3 years in prison for abuse of service and prohibited from holding public office for a period of up to 15 years.

(Reporter A. Plitoc, editor A. Răileanu)