Former president of People's Assembly of Gagauzia autonomy faces long prison term; prosecutors demand sentence in power abuse, embezzlement case

Prosecutors have demanded thirteen years of imprisonment for Dmitri Constantinov, former president of the People's Assembly of the Autonomous Territorial Unit (UTA) of Gagauzia, accused of abuse of office and embezzlement in particularly large amounts. The spokesperson of the Prosecutor General's Office (PG), Violina Morar, has confirmed the information for the media.

The sentence is to be pronounced by judges of the Comrat Court in late December.

According to the investigation, during 2017–2020, while he was the director of a commercial company in Comrat, Constantinov allegedly acted together with other individuals to authorize unjustified fund transfers to a company where his son was active.

Prosecutors allege that fictitious contracts were concluded, through which the company managed by Constantinov was rendered insolvent, with the estimated damage amounting to over 46 million lei.

On November 14, 2025, Dmitri Constantinov announced his resignation as president of the People's Assembly of Gagauzia. He stated that the decision was personal and was triggered by his health problems.

 

The resignation came approximately a month after a visit to Comrat by the director of the Intelligence and Security Service, Alexandru Musteata, which Constantinov did not want to comment on to the press.

In a video message announcing his leaving, Constantinov emphasized that there was no pressure and that he has 90 unused leave days, which is why he wants to temporarily withdraw from public life.

Throughout his term, Dmitri Constantinov had an activity that sparked discussions. Thus, in September 2023, representatives of the Communist and Socialist Bloc in the People's Assembly demanded his resignation, accusing him of making political agreements with Ilan Shor.

 

At the same time, the local legislature’s session was tense due to debates on the composition of the new executive proposed by Bashkan Evghenia Gutul.

Constantinov's resignation came almost simultaneously with the expiration of the legislative mandate in Comrat. Referring to the electoral process, Constantinov announced that elections in the People's Assembly could take place at the beginning of March 2026, following a prior decision by the Supreme Court of Justice and the establishment of the ballot’s date by the Gagauzia Central Electoral Commission.

 

He noted that simultaneous elections for the People's Assembly and the Bashkan could save about five million lei.

The last elections for the People's Assembly took place on September 19, 2021, when 35 deputies were elected – 25 independents, nine on behalf of the Bloc of  Communists and Socialists and one from the We Build Europe At Home Party.