A former employee of the Interior Ministry has been detained for attempting to bribe a functionary from that Ministry.

The detainee (54) wanted to give half a million lei ($25,000) to the civil servant to get a document confirming he had given arms to six Ukrainians as presents.

The Ukrainians needed the confirmation in order to register those guns as legal.

Last January, he used an intermediary to pass to the official a first installment, but was caught red-handed as he tried to send the second tranche.

The suspect faces a jail term of up to 12 years and a fine of ($20,000.)