President about Balan’s pardon: He held position of responsibility during Plahotniuc’s time. I don’t think there are other risks at present

President Maia Sandu does not rule out the possibility that the former deputy director of the Intelligence and Security Service (SIS), Alexandru Bălan, may have provided information to other states and carried out actions against the security of the Republic of Moldova. At the same time, the head of state considers that the international operation through which two Moldovan citizens, SIS employees, were freed from captivity in Russia was a success.

Maia Sandu said that Alexandru Bălan held a position of responsibility within SIS during 2018–2019 and assured that, at present, there are no other major risks.

“Bălan held a position of responsibility in SIS during Vladimir Plahotniuc’s time. He has not been working within the institution for a very long time. When we took over governing, he was dismissed from the system. Obviously, he held information that, over this period, he could have transmitted to other states. This probably did in fact happen. I don’t think there are other risks at present, because, since 2018–2019, when he left SIS, he has had the possibility to disclose this information to anyone, unfortunately,” Maia Sandu said.

The president believes that the international operation, carried out with the support of the United States, Poland, and Romania, had a very good outcome for the Republic of Moldova.

“It is an operation that lasted a long time and I am glad that we managed to bring home, to free from captivity, two of our citizens who are loyal to the Republic of Moldova. In exchange, it was necessary to release a citizen who does not respect the Republic of Moldova and who carried out actions against the security of the state,” the president added.

Two citizens of the Republic of Moldova, SIS officers, were released from prisons in Russia. In exchange, the Moldovan authorities pardoned Alexandru Bălan, recently extradited by the Romanian authorities, and extradited Russian citizen Nina Popov.

Former SIS deputy director Alexandru Bălan, investigated in Romania for crimes against national security and convicted in Chișinău for attempted disclosure of state secrets, a holder of dual Romanian and Moldovan citizenship, was handed over on April 24 to the authorities of the Republic of Moldova, following an extradition request submitted to the Romanian authorities.

The other person included in the exchange, Nina Popov, was arrested last summer at Chișinău International Airport after she allegedly tried to offer a 300‑dollar bribe to a border police officer to allow her entry into the country despite an existing ban.