Former director of AIS Moldpres - life insurance of hundreds of thousands lei with private company from institution's account

Official Statement of IP AIS 'Moldpres', 15 April 2025

Former director of Moldpres State News Agency Valeriu Reniță decided to earmark over 282,000 lei for life insurance of some employees of the institution to a private company. Among the beneficiaries was his daughter, while consultants for finalizing the life insurance were, at the time of contract signing with AIS 'Moldpres', Valeriu Reniță's wife and son-in-law. Although the contracts were concluded in 2008, the benefits for Valeriu Reniță are still active today.

Considering a previous report by the Financial Control and Audit Service, which found 'unjustified and illegal expenses totaling 3.4 million lei' due to 'management of the leadership during 2008 – 2009', when Valeriu Reniță was in charge of the institution, AIS 'Moldpres' has notified the National Anticorruption Center (CNA).

What Valeriu Reniță does not publicly say 

The former director of AIS 'Moldpres' during 2004 - 2009, Valeriu Reniță, has recently made several accusations against the institution after being summoned to the National Anticorruption Center (CNA). Valeriu Reniță connected the summons to CNA with his activity as a journalist, claiming that he was inconvenient to the current government and this case was a 'political command', a 'revenge' of the current leadership of AIS 'Moldpres', etc. Moreover, he made an 'urgent appeal for the protection of press freedom and journalists' rights', also notifying international organizations.

In Valeriu Reniță's strident efforts on social media, something essential is missing - the real reason for his summons to the CNA. 

The situation is quite simple in this case, and the evidence from AIS 'Moldpres' accounting and the insurance company's documents dismisses the 'political connotation' or 'intimidations' referred to by Valeriu Reniță on social media.

Specifically, the State News Agency 'Moldpres' received on 23 December 2024 a letter sent by an insurance company from the Moldovan market, through which the institution was informed about the profit participation value allocated based on a specific contract.

The agency's accounting found the Contract on life insurance for some employees, but not the attachments with the names of the insured.

To find out more details, the leadership of AIS 'Moldpres' requested the insurance company to provide detailed information on the mentioned policyholders, the contractual basis, the amounts transferred, who paid these insurance sums from the start of the contractual relations to present, who are the final beneficiaries of these policies and the profit participation value.

Valeriu Reniță, his daughter and chief accountant insured 'for life' from 'Moldpres' account

The insurance company informed us that it concerns three life insurance agreements contracted by IP AIS 'Moldpres' – former director Valeriu Reniță, his daughter, Doina Ipatii, and the former chief accountant of the agency, Varvara Cotorobai.

The insured and effective beneficiaries, according to the information provided by the insurance company are private people and the insurance policies were paid by Moldpres.

The data of Moldpres accounting shows that the agency transferred over 282,000 lei to the insurance company's accounts.

Initially, the insurance company received 22 insurance claims from Moldpres, based on which 20 life insurance contracts were concluded. For two claims, the insurance policy was returned to Moldpres – in one case, the insured person 'does not meet the age criteria' and cannot be insured (that person was born in 1943), and in the second case, the person refused to be insured with the institution's money.

Consultants for finalizing the life insurance policies were Lidia Reniță and Sergiu Ipatii, i.e. Valeriu Reniță's wife and son-in-law.

To obtain some minimal benefits, the 20 insured individuals of 'Moldpres' were supposed to transfer a certain sum to the insurer in the first three years. Starting with the third year of insurance, the insurance contract could continue without paying insurance policies.

The leadership of AIS 'Moldpres', which succeeded Valeriu Reniță, refused to pay the insurance policies for employees, so most of them gave up the life insurance, which was aimed at 'increasing financial/moral comfort and reducing staff turnover'.

The contract between the insurance company and AIS 'Moldpres' remained in force for only three life insurance agreements – with former director Valeriu Reniță, former chief accountant (dismissed in March 2025) Varvara Cotorobai and the ex-director's daughter, Doina Ipatii.

The former lawyer of AIS 'Moldpres', Rodica Bolea (Bodian), who prepared the 'legal argumentation' for signing the agreement with the insurance company asked in 2010 to take over the obligations of the contractor after the new management of the institution refused to make payments.

Documents presented to CNA

From the report of the AIS 'Moldpres' Administrative Council's meeting on 4.12.2008, where the Revenue and Expenditure Plan for 2009 was approved, it does not result that the administration informed the Council about the intention to insure the employees. The amount 290,784.60 lei appears under 'Forms, personnel insurance' in the Plan.

From the accounting extract of account 224.1, provided by the former chief accountant, it results that in the period 12.01.2009 – 3.12.2009, 282,130.00 lei was transferred in 15 installments from the account of IP AIS 'Moldpres' to the insurance company's account.

Based on these documents, but also on those provided by the insurance company, the National Anticorruption Center is to decide whether any abuse was committed in this case.

It is the obligation of AIS 'Moldpres' leadership to notify the legal authorities if there are suspicions of inappropriate spending of the institution's money.