Chișinău councillor Ion Onța placed under house arrest in fraud case
Chișinău Municipal Councillor Ion Onța from the National Alternative Movement (MAN) party has been placed under house arrest for 30 days following allegations of real estate fraud.
The decision was handed down on July 16 by judges at the Chișinău Court (Ciocana seat).
Investigators arrested the 32-year-old politician on the afternoon of July 14. He stands accused of orchestrating an investment scam involving capital real estate developments.
Onța allegedly convinced two men, aged 34 and 40, to invest in local property developments by offering a guaranteed annual yield of 20%. The victims transferred a total of €155,000 (approx. 3 million MDL) in several installments.
To maintain the illusion of a legitimate and lucrative operation, the suspect returned 10% of the funds to the investors, misrepresenting the transfers as earned profits. Law enforcement officials noted these payments were simply recycled from the victims' own capital.
The scheme resulted in total financial damages exceeding 3 million MDL. If convicted, Onța faces between 8 and 15 years in prison.
Shortly after the arrest, the National Alternative Movement stated it would defer any internal party decisions regarding Onța until legal proceedings clarify the situation.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
