State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture Arrested in Connection with a Corruption Case

Tatiana Nistorica, State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, and a representative of one of the companies were detained by officers from the National Anticorruption Centre (NAC) and prosecutors from the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office in connection with a corruption case. According to the NAC, the company representative is suspected of passing money to the State Secretary so that she could exert influence on officials at the National Agency for Food Safety (ANSA) with the aim of reinstating the license to import poultry and animal feed from Ukraine, reports bani.md. Investigators report that ANSA had previously suspended the import procedure for this feed after numerous violations were uncovered during inspections. At present, officers from the National Anticorruption Centre (NAC) and prosecutors from the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office are conducting searches in the office of the State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, as well as at other locations, to seize evidence and strengthen the case. The investigation is ongoing. Law enforcement agencies are establishing all the circumstances of the case, identifying all those involved and documenting the alleged criminal activity. The NAC and the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office have stated that they will provide further information as the investigation progresses.