Final arguments in Țuțu's case. Prosecutors accuse him of influence peddling, fraud and illicit enrichment
Prosecutors have charged former Democratic Party leader Constantin Țuțu with five crimes: influence peddling, fraud, illicit enrichment, and two counts of submitting improper statements to the National Integrity Authority. Closing arguments began in court on Tuesday, and the trial is nearing its conclusion.
Prosecutor Elena Cazacov stated, "We have initiated the debates, and Mr. Constantin Țuțu faces five charges announced during the court hearing. These charges include influence peddling, fraud, illicit enrichment, and two instances of making inappropriate statements to national integrity authorities. The prosecution's requests will be made public once the pleadings are complete."
During Tuesday's hearing, the defense submitted two requests, both of which were rejected. These requests involved hearing specialists from ANI and ARBI, as well as conducting a financial assessment of Țuțu's income.
Lawyer Ion Negură argued, "This case revolves around the actions and procedures carried out by ARBI. Mr. Țuțu was neither present nor informed about their preparations, and the investigation was conducted solely by the criminal investigation body. We believe that all his income is accurately reflected in his income declaration, which amounted to 145,000 euros when he entered politics in 2014. Additionally, he received donations for family events from 2015 to 2019, which were not included in the significant discrepancies identified by the Prosecutor's Office."
Former Democratic MP Constantin Țuțu is accused of illicit enrichment after prosecutors determined that during his time in office, he acquired real estate and luxury vehicles whose value significantly exceeds his declared income. The cases concerning influence peddling and illicit enrichment have been pending since May 2020 and November 2021, respectively. They were later merged into a single trial currently being heard at the Chisinau District Court. Constantin Țuțu was detained on October 2 while attempting to enter the Republic of Moldova from Ukraine.
