The head of the ANSA Leuşeni Phytosanitary Control Station will spend the next 20 days in home arrest. The decision was taken by the magistrates of the Chişinău district court after the official decided to admit his guilt and to collaborate with the investigation.

PUBLIKA.MD reminds that the head of Leuşeni Phytosanitary Control Station of the National Food Safety Agency (ANSA) was arrested on Wednesday, September 6, by CNA officers and anti-corruption prosecutors. He was suspected of influence peddling and passive corruption, expressed through the systematic collection of financial means from different economic agents.

An economic agent was also detained, suspected of active corruption.

According to the investigation, the head of the Leuşeni Phytosanitary Control Station, using the service situation, gave illegal indications to the subordinated veterinary and phytosanitary doctors, ordering them to create unfounded impediments for the economic agents importing food products in the Republic of Moldova, in order to ask for their personal help.

Subsequently, after discussing with the economic agents, he needed to pay them various sums of money to solve the problem.

In the process of investigating the case, it was found that the head of the phytosanitary control regularly received different amounts of money for each food commodity imported during the week through the Leuşeni customs station, but also through the customs offices Tudora and Criva.

Thus,  a criminal prosecution for active corruption was started, with evidence of the systematic collection of payments from a number of economic agents. These would have been paid in the form of "salary" or "protection fee", precious gifts, etc.

Also, regarding the said official, the composition of the offense referred to in Article 3302, paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code - Illicit Enrichment is also documented.

The head of the phytosanitary control station is detained for 72 hours and is in custody of the CNA.

On Wednesday, one of the representatives of the economic agent who regularly paid bribes was detained, being investigated for active corruption.