Judge Ana Cucerescu reports harassment during Guțul case to police
The acts of intimidation to which Ana Cucerescu, the magistrate who examined the criminal file on behalf of the Gagauzian Bashkan, Evghenia Guțul, was subjected in recent days are "unprecedented", said the head of the General Inspectorate of Police (IGP), Viorel Cernăuțeanu, on Wednesday, August 6, in a press briefing. The statements of the head of the National Police were made shortly after the magistrate filed a complaint regarding the acts of harassment to which she was subjected while handling the file on behalf of the Bashkan - threatening calls, photos of corpses, funeral processions and bomb alerts.
According to Viorel Cernăuțeanu, after Judge Ana Cucerescu detailed the facts, law enforcement officers initiated an investigation based on the Penal Code article related to threats or violence against individuals in responsible positions. They are also exploring the possibility that these actions were carried out for the benefit of a criminal organization.
The head of the IGP reported that, at the end of July this year, malicious individuals created fake accounts on various social media platforms and set up an email address that closely resembled the judge’s official work email. This fake address was used to send a message to media outlets and public officials, falsely claiming that the judge was resigning due to pressure from authorities and alleged threats against her.
Robotic messages, calls to the morgue, and disturbing images
Cernăuțeanu further noted that starting on July 31, the magistrate began receiving robotic phone messages, including calls inviting her to the morgue. Additionally, during this time, calls were made to court chancelleries informing staff that they needed to go to the morgue to identify the judge's body.
Another message sent to media institutions and public officials incorrectly announced that Ana Cucerescu died, specifying a date and location for a supposed "farewell" ceremony, and even provided the contact details of another judge from the Supreme Council of Magistracy (CSM) as a contact person.
The “flower bouquet”—a ”funeral garb
On August 1, Viorel Cernăuțeanu reported that the judge received a message stating that she was going to receive “a bouquet of flowers.” Following this, the calls and messages about the flower delivery became increasingly insistent. However, police discovered that it was not a bouquet, but rather a funeral garb with live flowers, described as “an obvious allusion to death.”
Law enforcement examined video footage from the apartment building where the magistrate lives and reviewed data from the flower shop where the order was placed. Investigators found that the payment was processed through Paynet, with four attempts made; the first three were rejected due to incorrect information, while the fourth attempt was successful. All involved data, including email addresses and phone numbers, is currently being documented by investigators.
Macabre images and direct threats
Also from August 1, the magistrate began receiving messages on her phone with shocking images, including a photo of a decapitated person, accompanied by the text: "You are next".
This form of extreme intimidation was classified by the authorities as unprecedented, and the Police launched a large-scale investigation to identify the perpetrators and determine whether an organized criminal network is behind these actions.
At the same time, Viorel Cernăuțeanu specified that, on the night of August 4 to 5, as well as during the day of August 5, dozens of calls were recorded to the 112 Emergency Service, all targeting the block of flats where Judge Ana Cucerescu lives.
“These calls contained various false requests and threats intended to disrupt the peace and create panic in the area: bomb alerts, announcements of attempted stabbings in the stairwell of the building, fires on the second floor, as well as other alarming situations,” Cernăuțeanu detailed.
The situation was also repeated at the Chișinău Courthouse, Buiucani headquarters, where, on the morning of August 5, dozens of calls with similar content were received – bomb alerts and other threats.
For this reason, the measure was taken to exclude unauthorized persons from accessing the court premises on August 5, the day the sentence was pronounced on the name of the Bashkan Evghenia Guțul.
According to Viorel Cernăuțeanu, the phone numbers used for the fake 112 calls are the same ones that were previously used, at the end of July, to send the judge threatening messages and calls. This indicates that the actions were coordinated and carried out by the same person, group of people or criminal organization, to influence the judge's decisions in the criminal case she was managing.
The head of the IGP specified that one of the versions currently examined by law enforcement officers is that those involved in this case are part of the entourage of the fugitive convict Ilan Șor.
Viorel Cernăuțeanu also said that Judge Ana Cucerescu benefits from the necessary protection.
