Moldovan interior minister confirms elite crime unit resumes duties after $400,000 crypto-bribery scandal
Interior Minister Daniella Misail-Nichitin confirmed that officers from the National Investigation Inspectorate’s (INI) organized crime division have rescinded their mass resignation. The team has returned to full operational capacity following the release of colleagues detained in a high-profile corruption probe.
The investigation centers on a record $400,000 bribe (approx. €369,500 or 7.27 million MDL). The funds were allegedly extorted to suppress a complex money laundering case involving international citizens.
Institutional stability restored
"The team is consolidated and continues to investigate the most complex organized crime cases," Minister Misail-Nichitin stated following a government meeting on April 8. She emphasized that the unit is operating strictly within its legal mandate.
Addressing rumors regarding the arrests, the Minister clarified that the only suspect currently in 30-day preventive custody, Andrei Ciobanu, is a former INI employee. He reportedly served in a different subdivision without direct links to the current anti-organized crime team.
A landmark crypto-investigation
The case marks a technical milestone for the Moldovan justice system. Marcel Dumbravan, head of the Anti Corruption Prosecutor's Office, revealed that the first bribe installment was transferred via cryptocurrency rather than cash.
This digital trail is currently being analyzed by the Prosecution for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS). Prosecutors have also secured the detention of a prosecutor and the son of a former official in connection with the scheme.
Ongoing legal proceedings
While some officers were released, authorities maintain that the money laundering investigation remains active. The Minister declined to provide further specifics, citing the presumption of innocence and the need to protect international investigative leads.
"We must allow the institutions to exercise their duties," Misail-Nichitin concluded. "Full clarifications will be provided once the court reaches a definitive ruling." The suspects continue to deny all allegations.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
