Corruption scheme in issuing driver's licenses, documented by the NAC. Monthly, 20,000 euros were collected to bribe some PSA officials

A corruption scheme in the issuance of driver's licenses was documented by the officers of the General Territorial Directorate North of the NAC and the anti-corruption prosecutors. Six employees of the Public Services Agency (PSA), from the Balti and Chisinau offices, were detained for implementing a system of illegal collection of financial means from candidates for obtaining a driving license, the amounts claimed for a document varying between 400 and 1200 euros.

According to the evidence, administered by the DGT North of the NAC and prosecutors, six people allegedly acted in a coordinated manner, and the monthly sums collected only from the northern part of the country reached 20,000 euros - cash that was sent to officials from Chisinau to cover illegal acts. Thus, it was possible to document the systematic collections, in the amount of 2,500 euros per month, by the inspectors of the Transport Registration and Driver Qualification Office (TRDQO) in Balti municipality. Afterwards, they allegedly sent the mentioned amount to another employee, and he, in turn, to the responsible person from PSA in Chisinau. Thus, following the collection of money from several districts of the northern area, the final amount amounted to 15,000-20,000 euros per month.

Today, 19 searches were carried out in the offices of TRDQO Balti, in the cars and homes of employees suspected of defrauding the exams to obtain driving licenses in exchange for illicit financial means. During the searches, draft documents with the identity data of the candidates, copies of identity cards, sums of money in the amount of 30 thousand euros, 20 thousand lei, mobile phones and firearms, illegally owned, were seized. As a result of the criminal investigation, six people were detained, and the head of the PSA from Chisinau was caught while trying to leave the Republic of Moldova. In his car, 13,000 euros were found and seized, hidden under the hood of the car.

Investigations in this case are ongoing.

The Northern Office of the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office is conducting the criminal investigation.