Former mayor of Băcioi and relative sentenced to prison for passive corruption
The former mayor of the Băcioi commune and a close relative who serves as a local councilor have each been sentenced to 8 years in prison for passive corruption by the Buiucani Court in Chișinău. The court also ordered that their preventive arrest be maintained until the final sentence, which was pronounced on May 23.
In addition to their prison sentences, the former mayor and his relative were fined—60,000 lei for the former mayor and 100,000 lei for his relative. They were also ordered to jointly pay over 700,000 lei to the state and the injured party, which represents amounts derived from their crimes as well as material and moral damages.
According to the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, the criminal case was initiated in 2018, with the events occurring beginning in 2012. The former mayor allegedly extorted 10,000 euros from a citizen, threatening to cancel that citizen's ownership of some land. Since the man could not pay the amount, they agreed that he would provide construction materials of equivalent value, which the buyer later used to pay the mayor, both directly and through his relative.
From 2012 to 2015, the former mayor allegedly received goods worth 230,000 lei, promising to facilitate the purchase of another plot of land in the locality. These goods were reportedly used to build the former mayor's house.
The court also ordered the confiscation of 10,000 dollars and 218,820 lei, as these amounts were obtained illegally. Additionally, it partially accepted the civil action of the injured party, ordering the recovery of material and moral damages.
The court affirmed the seizure of the assets belonging to the two defendants to ensure the execution of the sentence. This sentence can be appealed at the Chisinau Court of Appeal within 15 days.
