Individuals who claimed influence over officials at the Romanian Consulate in Odessa wanted in Moldova

Two individuals who received sums of money claiming to facilitate the acquisition of Romanian citizenship were convicted in absentia on Monday, August 11, in Chișinău for influence peddling and are wanted by Moldovan authorities.

The two told citizens of the Russian Federation that they had influence over officials at the Romanian Consulate in Odesa and at the National Authority for Citizenship in Bucharest. They allegedly demanded and received EUR 15,000 per adult and EUR 7,000 per child to facilitate the process, according to the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Moldova.

In total, the two allegedly earned more than EUR 170,000 by promising Romanian citizenship to Russians between 2016 and 2018.

“The money was intended to make (Romanian officials) accept the submission of files for the reacquisition of Romanian citizenship by Russian citizens, so that the files would be processed as a priority and not in the order of their registration,” prosecutors stated.

One of the defendants would find potential clients and send the documents to the other, who “ensured the alleged influence over consular officials.”

One of the men was sentenced to six years in prison for influence peddling, of which three years were suspended, with a probation period of three years. The other defendant received seven years and six months in prison, of which three years and nine months were suspended, with the same probation period.

Both lost the right to offer consultancy for obtaining public documents. They are now wanted fugitives.

The court also ordered the confiscation of EUR 15,000 from the first and EUR 50,000 from the second.

The sentence may be appealed to the Chișinău Court of Appeal, Central Division, within 15 days.

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