Moldovan National Corruption Centre says searches made in France within Bank Fraud criminal file

Chisinau, 17 January /MOLDPRES/ - Prosecutors and officers of the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA), jointly with officers of the Crime Assets Recovery Agency (ARBI) of the National Anticorruption Centre (CNA), on 9-11 January 2024 assisted their counterparts from France for carrying out searches in this country, in the context of the fulfillment of the requests on international legal assistance on the Bank Fraud criminal file.     

According to CNA, the criminal prosecution actions were carried out in the Sciez city and the settlements Combloux, Chamonix Mont-Blanc, Sallanches and Douvaine, on 9-11 January 2024 and regarded three real estate assets, registered on the names of legal entities, but owned, in reality, by the family of a former party leader.   

The searches were carried out by law-enforcers from France, assisted by the members of the criminal prosecution group of Moldova.  

One of the aforementioned assets is a cottage placed in Sciez, in a residential district, on the bank of the Leman Lake, with the cottage being under renovation. The second asset is also in Sciez and represents an apartment with two car park places, placed in a residential complex, which was managed by a close relative of the former party leader at the moment of the carrying out of the criminal prosecution actions.   

The third real estate asset represents a traditional mountain shed in alpine area, with ground floor, first floor and attic, placed at the upper altitude of the Combloux settlement, on a ground of 21 areas, with sight of the Mont Blanc height.   

Following the searches made, the law-enforcers raised financial means (92,000 euros and 3,000 Swiss francs), with the origin of money due to be established, with the subsequently levying of distraint. The law-enforcers also raised technical devices, phones and more documents, which are to be investigated within the criminal file, including which provide additional information also about other real estate and movable assets which belong to the family of the former politician, such a cottage in Switzerland. At the same time, witnesses were heard.    

Distraint was levied on the aforementioned assets, till the carrying out of the searches, in order to ensure the compensation of the damage caused by the offence.