Căușeni mayor detained for allegedly demanding €4,500 bribe
Alexandru Donțu, the mayor of Căușeni, was detained on March 18th by anti-corruption officers for allegedly soliciting a bribe of 89,300 lei, equivalent to nearly 4,500 euros, in exchange for awarding a contract.
According to the National Anticorruption Center (CNA), the mayor of Căușeni has been detained in a significant case involving abuse of office, passive corruption, and active corruption. This case concerns the illicit activities of certain employees within the local public administration and an economic agent.
In addition to the mayor, authorities have also detained a representative of the economic agent involved.
The CNA reports that the mayor of Căușeni is suspected of having requested, accepted, and received 89,300 lei in financial benefits that he was not entitled to, which represents 50% of the total amount of a contract previously awarded to a local administration company.
Today, law enforcement conducted searches at Căușeni City Hall, including the mayor's office and other offices within the institution. They also searched the premises of several economic agents related to the investigation. During these searches, documents, data storage devices, and other evidence pertinent to the case were seized.
The two detained individuals will be taken to the National Criminal Investigation Center for questioning and may be held in custody for 72 hours.
When asked by Teleradio-Moldova for a comment, the mayor's father, former mayor Anatolie Donțu, stated that he is unaware of the details of the case at this time.
"I don't know anything about this, but we'll see what the situation is. They just arrived and are checking, controlling, and conducting investigations. I don't know anything," he said.
The investigations are ongoing under the oversight of the Chișinău Municipal Prosecutor's Office.
