Houses, apartments and tens of thousands of euros received as gifts

Every year, dozens of judges in the Republic of Moldova report that they have accepted gifts. The year 2020 is no exception. Every fifth judge in the Republic of Moldova reported in his statement on property for last year donations from parents, in-laws, brothers, sisters or other close relatives. No less than 84 magistrates out of over 400 who work today in the courts of Moldova indicated in the documents presented to the National Integrity Authority that they received gifts last year, either money, cars or real estate.

She lives in the ex-husband's parents’ house, donated to her son

Viorica Mihaila, a judge at the Chisinau Court of Appeal received a spacious building last year. In the 2020 statement on property and personal interests, the magistrate reported the share of ½ from a plot of 13 acres. Also, the judge wrote on paper the share of ½ from a house with an area of 168.7 square meters, valued at 165,727 lei. Contacted by reporters from the Anticoruptie.md portal, Viorica Mihaila said that it was about her ex-husband's parents house, which was donated to her son. The house was built in the 90s and registered under the name of Iurie Graur’s parents, the magistrate's ex-husband.

In 2005, half of the building was registered under the man’s name, and the other half was donated to the judge's daughter. In August 2020, Iurie Graur ceded his share of the property to his son.

The house is located in the village of Ghidighici, in the same yard with two other outbuildings, surrounded by a stone fence. All three buildings are covered with red metal tiles. Scaffolding is installed on the side of the house, a sign that renovations have recently taken place. The magistrate's Toyota RAV4 car with personalized numbers is parked in the yard. Neighbors confirmed that Judge Viorica Mihaila lives in this household.

We remind that Viorica Mihaila also owns an apartment of 66 square meters on Cuza-Vodă Str. in the Botanica sector of Chisinau, and last year the magistrate also invested in an apartment of 75.15 square meters and in a garage of 18.15 square meters. The new acquisitions amount to 1.3 million lei. To afford them, the judge borrowed $ 7,000 from an individual and took an advance of 20,000 euros to sell a property

Real estate transactions of the magistrate Ialanji family

Magistrate Arina Ialanji from the Chisinau District Court received as a donation, in 2020, the share of ½ from a house of 231 square meters. The other half of the building was donated to her in 2019. It is a three level house and an attic, located in the Botanica sector of Chisinau, where no one seems to live. The building was bought in 1998 by the magistrate's parents, Ana and Constantin Ialanji. In 2004, it was registered under the name of Arina Ialanji and her brother. In July 2017, half of the home was registered again under the judge's father, and in 2019, after the magistrate's one-year-old son. In September 2020, the share of ½ in the house was officially registered again in the name of Arina Ialanji.

Also last year, the magistrate ceded the share of ½ of a 196.5 square meter house, located in Codru, to her brother. The donation contract was signed on August 18. The building was donated to the Ialanji brothers in 2004.

These are not the judge's only transactions. In 2020, she sold a car for 115,000 lei and bought a Toyota Prius car, 2013, for which she paid 200,000 lei. The magistrate did not respond to calls for comment.

Money, land and a house with outbuildings

It seems that for Natalia Iordachi from the Chisinau Court, the year 2020 was a prosperous one. The magistrate received as a donation the share of 1/2 of an urban land of 48 acres as well as ½ of five agricultural lands with a total area of ​​1.1 hectares. She also received as a donation half of a 117 square meter house with three outbuildings, of 42.5, 19 and 53.2 square meters, respectively. The total value of the goods received as a donation amounts to 56 thousand lei. Also in 2020, the magistrate completed the construction of a house of 133.9 square meters, whose value was estimated at 1.3 million lei. Moreover, Natalia Iordachi received a cash donation from a certain Doriana Chicu, worth 500 euros.

For Olga Cojocaru from the Chisinau Court of Appeal, last year was a rich one. She reported gifts worth 85,000 lei from her ex-husband, mother-in-law and her mother. The latter gave her the share of ½ she owned in a house of 205,1 square meters, bought together with Olga Cojocaru a year earlier. The cadastral value of the building is equal to 1,893,673 lei. Also in 2020, the judge bought two cars - a Peugeot, 2013, for which the magistrate would have paid only 20,000 lei and a branded car SKODA Superb, 2018, which Cojocaru bought in leasing. The value of the car amounts to 15,653 euros.

Apartments from mother and mother-in-law

Grigorii Cazacu from the Chisinau Court based in Rascani received in 2020 a donation worth 25,000 lei from his mother. Also, in February 2021, he received as a donation an apartment of 18.6 square meters, valued at 99,137 lei. Even if he did not have a home of his own, in 2021, the magistrate bought in leasing an almost new car, a Lexus model, worth 39,290 euros. At the same time, the judge's statement on property for 2020 lacks the share of 1/2 of a four-acre urban land, which Cazacu previously reported. Also, any income from the alienation of the building is missing. The magistrate did not answer the calls to comment on the declared property.

Magistrate Olga Jamba from the Soroca District Court received a generous donation in 2020 - an apartment of 65.9 square meters, worth 376,746 lei. The donation comes from the judge's mother. Three years earlier, she reported another home received as a donation. It is an apartment of 45.4 square meters, in which her in-laws previously lived and which was donated by them to the magistrate's husband.

Judges with real estate for free use

Several judges from various courts in Moldova said in 2020 that they received for free their apartments. For instance, Alina Balan from the Orhei Court lives in a 64.1 square meter apartment, registered under the name of her in-laws. Angela Bostan from the Chisinau Court of Appeal from 2020 also has the right to live in a 74-square-meter apartment registered under her mother's name. Last year, the judge sold an apartment for 170,000 lei and bought a Lexus worth 250,000 lei.

Andrei Niculcea from the Chisinau Court filed several statements on property and personal interests for 2020. It happens after RISE Moldova published an investigation about the magistrate's property and interests. In the last document presented to ANI, Niculcea reported the right to live in an 85.7 square meter house registered under his parents’ name. Journalists from RISE Moldova wrote that, in fact, Niculcea would live with his concubine in a spacious house in Stauceni, located in a neighborhood with luxury villas near Megapoliss Mall. "The villa has over 170 square meters, has two levels and is decorated in a modern style," wrote the journalists.

They inherited land and houses

Except those who received donations last year, there are magistrates who have made fortunes from real estate which they inherited. Thus, Boris Bîrca from the Chisinau Court of Appeal inherited in 2020 a third of two plots of land and a house with an area of ​​152.7 square meters with two acres. The magistrate did not report the value of the assets obtained as inheritance. Also last year, he sold a car for 60,000 lei, after which he bought another one, a Toyota RAV4, for which he paid 260,490 lei.

Judge Veronica Carapirea from the first instance court in Cimislia inherited last year a house of 134 square meters and the land on which the building is located. Victor Boico from the Supreme Court of Justice inherited last year ½ from a lot of out-of-town land of six acres, valued at 54,124 lei.

Magistrate Adriana Garbuz from the Balti Court of Appeal is a real landowner. Last year, she received two other agricultural lands with a total area of ​​1.47 hectares. The share of ½ of the respective lots was bought, and another half was donated to her. Ramona Moșneguțu from the Orhei Court received as a donation an agricultural lot with an area of ​​seven acres.

Tens of thousands of euros, help from in-laws and parents

The year 2020 was a favorable one for cash donations for several magistrates from the courts in Moldova. For example, the magistrate Alexandru Mardari from the Chisinau Court received in 2020 a donation in the amount of 60,000 euros from his mother. The magistrate used this money to buy an apartment with an area of ​​166 square meters, for which he paid 110,890 euros, but also a garage with an area of ​​20.3 square meters, for which he paid 9,845 euros. Alexandru Ceban also benefited from substantial donations totaling 43,500 euros. The donation came from his parents following the alienation of the house in the possession of the magistrate's family. Ceban used this money to buy a plot of land with an area of ​​three acres, for which he paid 583,740 lei. The judge also bought other cars. He sold three cars for 832,000 lei and instead bought four other means of transport, for which he paid 815,000 lei - a truck, a motorcycle and two cars, BMW and Volvo, respectively.

The president of the Chisinau Court of Appeal, Vladislav Clima received last year donations amounting to 12,250 euros and 29,300 dollars. The donations came from the magistrate's father-in-law, father and brother and represent financial aid for getting the share of an apartment and financial aid for paying for Clima's son's studies. The judge sold an apartment in 2020 and bought a new house with an area of ​​193.8 square meters, for which he paid 1,464,000 lei. Magistrate Hristina Craveț from the Balti Court helped her mother to buy a house and donated 25,000 euros. Thus, in January 2020, the judge bought an apartment of 62.1 square meters, for which she paid 738 thousand lei. The family of magistrate Igor Barbacaru from the Chisinau Court owned an apartment located on Moscovei Boulevard in Chisinau. The judge, his parents and his sister owned a quarter of the house. The building was sold last year, and all the money ended up in the magistrate's pocket, after his parents and sister gave him the amount of 22,875 euros, the equivalent of three quarters of the cost of the apartment. Magistrate Angela Ciubotaru's father "sponsored" her last year with 5,000 dollars and 15,000 euros. Igor Mozgovoi from the Balti Court also has generous relatives. They transferred 12,450 euros to his account. Igor Batalai's in-laws from the Chisinau Court gave him 11,215 euros. Last year, the magistrate bought a BMW car, 1995, for which he claims that he paid only 10,000 lei.

Donations of tens of thousands of euros from weddings and christening parties

From the statements on property filed by several judges, we find out that a good income source are family events. Several magistrates did not give up organizing them even in the context of the coronavirus pandemic and last year benefited from tens of thousands of euros and tens of thousands of lei from these parties. However, the amounts reported by judges after weddings, celebrations or other events are lower compared to previous years. The judge who benefited most from a civil event is Vladislav Schibin. Together with his wife, who is a legal assistant at the Chisinau Court of Appeal, Schibin collected 24,000 euros from relatives and friends. With part of this money, the judge bought a Volkswagen Touran car, 2013, for which he paid 125,000 lei.

The magistrate Iraida Secrieru-Coşleț from the first instance court in Chisinau received 10,000 euros from the wedding party organized last year. She also received another donation of 1,500 euros. Magistrate Dragos Crigan from the Chisinau Court won 198,000 lei at a civil event. The amount of 3,000 euros was donated by his mother-in-law, and another 110,000 lei from Dragos Crigan's parents, Maria and Boris Crigan. The latter is a former prosecutor. Last year, the judge bought two vehicles - a Toyota RAV4 car, 2008, for which he paid 150,000 lei and an ATV 2014, for 120,000 lei. The magistrate Vasile Nogai from the Drochia Court managed to collect 187,000 lei from the christening party of his minor children.

Ion Volcovschi from the Cimislia Court had more modest earnings, who collected "only" 130,000 lei from donations from christening parties and birthdays. Another $ 200 and 3,000 euros went into the family budget of judges from several close relatives. Magistrate Sergiu Stratan from the Chisinau Court received donations of 6,500 euros at the wedding. Close relatives also sent him donations from abroad in the amount of 940 euros. Last year, the judge sold a Mercedes for 250,000 lei and bought a Lexus against the sum of 300,000 lei.

Thousands of euros and tens of thousands of lei, aid for magistrates in Chisinau and in Moldova

Several judges in the first instance court in Chisinau benefited from generous donations last year. Magistrate Natalia Mamaliga received in 2020 a donation of 1,200,000 lei from her father-in-law, Vasili Mamaliga. Magistrate Corneliu Guzun received 6,000 euros from a certain Lucia Buga, while Ghenadie Plamadeala received 5,000 euros as a gift from her mother and 14,883 lei from a certain Lidia Berdan. Magistrate Svetlana Vîșcu was helped by her mother with 5,000 euros. She received a donation of 100,000 lei from a certain Lidia Bulbas and Angela Furdui from the Chisinau Court.

The year 2020 was also prosperous for some magistrates from the courts in Moldova. Thus, the magistrate Emil Bulat from the Hancesti Court received as a donation, two agricultural lands with a total area of ​​1.7 hectares, with a total value of 18.4 thousand lei. Also, the judge benefited in 2020 from a generous donation worth 200,000 lei from his father. The money helped Bulat to buy a house with outbuildings, with an area of ​​182 square meters, for which he paid about 285 thousand lei. Judge Stanislav Rau from the first instance court in Comrat in 2020 benefited from several transfers of 167,408 lei. With this money, the magistrate bought a Volkswagen Passat car, 2013, for which he paid 8,400 euros.

Magistrate Eugeniu Ciubotaru from the Orhei District Court also benefited last year from a donation worth 8,000 euros, which helped him buy a Renault Talisman brand car, 2016, worth 240,000 lei. Dorina Cebanița from Orhei Court benefited last year from several transfers from abroad. 150 euros and 7,450 euros, respectively, in two installments. In 2020, Cebanița bought a Renault Megane car for 60,000 lei, 2012. Her colleague from the Hâncești Court, Diana Corlăteanu received from her parents 150,000 lei. She also bought a Nissan Juke, 2013, for which she paid 196,000 lei.

Magistrate Mihail Cojocaru from the Bălți Court last year bought a house. In order to afford the purchase, the judge sold a building, took two loans, but was also helped by his mother, with 7,000 euros, and a donation worth 15,000 lei came from a certain Valentina Baxan. Vitalie Munteanu's in-laws from the Comrat Court made a donation of 100,000 lei. The judge bought a Toyota Auris brand car, 2010, which cost 30,000 lei. Ion Ghizdari from the Ungheni Court benefited last year from donations amounting to 111,700 lei. The money came from the parents, respectively the magistrate's in-laws. Last year, Valeriu Hudoba from the Comrat Court received a donation of 100,000 lei from his mother, Terzi Parascovia, a retiree. In previous years, the judge reported generous aid from his mother. And his colleague from the Comrat Court of Appeal, Dmitrii Fujenco, was helped last year by his parents, with 100,000 lei.

Judges with „modest” donations

Compared to the donations of their colleagues, the aid of thousands of lei from some magistrates is rather modest. Magistrate Alexandru Zadorojniuc from the Soroca Court received a donation of 2,500 euros from his father last year. The judge sold a car in 2020 and bought a Toyota Rav 4 Sport brand, 2012, for which he would have paid 80,000 lei. On the car market, a car of this model, 2012, is three times more expensive, about 14 thousand euros. Magistrate Anatolie Rusu from the Ungheni Court received donations worth 1,900 euros and 10,000 rubles from Ceban Alina and Pascari Nadejda. Aliona Sârbu from the Cahul Court received donations in 2020 in the amount of 30,000 lei from relatives. The mother-in-law of the magistrate Victor Potlog from the Cimișlia Court donated him 1,500 euros.

Ana Costiuc from the Causeni Court received a donation of 500 euros from a certain Elena Hachi, while her colleague, Dan Dubcovețchi, was helped with 300 dollars. The amount of 1,300 euros was donated to the magistrate Ana Bologan from the Cahul Court by a close relative. His colleague, Evgheni Bancov, received 30,000 lei from his father. Sergiu Caraman from the Criuleni Court received 1,500 euros and 1,000 dollars from his close relatives on the occasion of the child's christening party. Ana Cucerescu from the Chisinau Court was helped by her mother with 3,500 euros. She also signed a loan agreement for an apartment of 90 square meters, where Ana Cucerescu currently lives. Also, in 2020 the magistrate obtained the right to use a Nissan Qashqai car registered under her father's name. Magistrate Elena Costiuc from the Chisinau District Court received  45,00 lei material help from her brother.

Eduard Balan from the Bălți Court benefited last year from a donation in the amount of 20,000 lei from a certain Ion Popescu. In 2020, the judge sold a car and took a loan, after which he bought an apartment with an area of ​​125.4 square meters and a garage of 30 square meters. Balan's colleague, Svetlana Ghercavii, received a transfer of 30,000 lei from her mother, Maria Kolotova last year. Sergiu Ciobanu from the Chisinau Court also benefited from remittances from the Russian Federation. Zinaida Donetcova sent him 200 euros. Ciobanu's colleague, magistrate Petru Păun, received a modest donation of 250 euros from a certain Elena Cebotariova. Valentina Garabagiu's family from the first instance court in Chisinau received a donation of 3,000 euros from her sister who settled abroad. Nicolae Ghedrovici from the Anenii Noi Court also received donations in 2020 - 3,000 euros from his mother. The magistrate added this amount to the loan he took last year and bought an apartment of 71.4 square meters, for which he paid 593,000 lei.

Ala Ucrainteva, a magistrate at the Straseni Court, received a donation of 28,530 lei from a certain Olga Rusu. In 2020, the judge became the owner of an apartment of 38.1 square meters, which cost is 25,200 euros. Mariana Hanganu from the Comrat Court received a transfer in the amount of 1,500 euros from her sister, the actual beneficiary of the amount, according to the magistrate, is her parents and nephew. Judge Vitalie Cotorobai of the Chisinau Court of Appeal accepted donations of $ 2,000 and 800 euros from a close relative. Following the family events, the magistrate Rodica Berdilo from the first instance court in Chisinau collected 18,000 lei. Her colleague, Veaceslav Nicula, received a gift of 10,000 lei from her mother. Judge Vasilisa Muntean also received financial aid last year. His parents and close relatives donated 49,100 lei, 60,000 rubles and 2,000 euros. Garri Bivol from the Chisinau Court accepted a donation of 3,000 euros from his sister, settled abroad. His colleague, Natalia Russu, got 24,000 lei from a close relative. 500 pounds and 1,500 euros were transferred in 2020 to the magistrate Svetlana Bubuioc from the first instance court in Balti. Irina Maxim from the Chisinau Court collected from relatives, following family events, 1,300 euros and 75,000 lei. Her colleague, Corina Ursachi, earned 3,125 euros from family events.

Magistrate Veronica Cuculescu from the Orhei Court received 1,400 from Zinaida Bodișteanu. Maria Tertea's sister from the Chisinau Court donated her 90,000 lei.

32,000 lei and $ 250 are the donations indicated in the statement on property for last year by the magistrate Marina Curtiș from the Cahul Court. The magistrate, who is raising five children by herself, told us that she bought an apartment through the First Home program and her mother, and her sister, who live abroad, helped her pay the installments for the apartment.

The father of magistrate Roman Mazureț from the Chisinau District Court donated 40,000 rubles on the birth of his nephew. Last year, the magistrate sold a car and  an apartment, but he bought two other cars - a Suzuki and a Renault Scenic, for which he paid 150 thousand lei. Boris Talpă from the Criuleni Court received donations from Elena and Valentin Pogor in the amount of 30,000 lei. Last year, the judge sold two apartments, took three loans and bought a house, for which he paid 130,000 euros.

Magistrate Ecaterina Palanciuc from the Chisinau Court of Appeal accepted a donation of 1,000 euros from a certain Ala Caraman. Last year, the judge sold a car for 140,000 lei, after which she bought a car Toyota Auris, 2015 for 200,000 lei. Close relatives gave 8,000 lei to Dumitru Bosîi from the Cahul Court.  The magistrate took another loan worth 120,000 lei and bought a Toyota car, for which he paid 180,000 lei. Magistrate Eugenia Culinca from the Chisinau Court received a donation of 2,000 euros from relatives last year. She sold three cars for 17,800 euros and 336,000 lei and bought another two cars, a Mercedes for which she paid 12,000 euros and a brandnew Toyota RAV4, worth 31,422 euros, bought in leasing. Her colleague, Gheorghe Balan, benefited last year from donations worth 4,000 euros. He also sold two goods, borrowed another 6,000 euros from an individual, and then he bought a brand new Skoda car, for which he paid 19,700 euros.

After her father’s death, Djeta Chistol from the first instance court in Chisinau received 7,500 lei as inheritance. Her colleague, Nadezhda Mazur, inherited from her father the amount of 23,080 lei, while Nina Arabadji inherited 30,000 hryvnia, her father's pension. After her husband’s death, magistrate Maria Negru from the Chisinau Court of Appeal received 47,000 lei from friends and relatives as death benefits.

Expert: "The system’s hypocrisy is worrying"

Experts believe that Moldovan officials often report donations to mask income whose origin they cannot prove. "Usually, donations are accepted from friends, relatives or other close people, who could always confirm that they made such donations. It is a tool widely used by our civil servants. I assume that some of the donations reported by the judges are real, but we certainly have fictitious donations, when the magistrates simply wanted to justify certain assets or the value of the assets that are in their patrimony ", points out Galina Bostan, president of the Center for the Analysis and Prevention of Corruption. "We have a big problem - if you ask our citizens which of the legal categories are the richest, the answers will certainly be that the richest are prosecutors and judges, and they are the professionals paid with public money," said the expert. According to her, the efforts of the National Integrity Authority, the institution empowered to verify the assets of officials, to identify magistrates whose assets have a value that exceeds their income,  are rather anemic. "I can say with certainty that everything depends a lot on the personal qualities of the integrity inspector, his professionalism and diligence."

The expert also points out that donations that mask income whose origin cannot be proven are a local phenomenon. "First of all, we need to talk about the depth of the phenomenon itself. If in other states, such situations are exceptions, in our country it is a rule. The scale of the phenomenon is so great and the hypocrisy of the system has reached is so worrying that we have a very big problem with civil servants. I am not a supporter of poor officials, but for me it is obvious that this goes beyond any logic. I would have accepted that we gain wealth during life, we work, but that is beyond normal. We all live in the Republic of Moldova and we know how to make money, how much is spent and how much you can gain in X years of work ", concludes the expert.

ANI: "During the control carried out by the integrity inspectors, it is impossible to establish with certainty whether the funds were gained by criminal methods"

In March, during a meeting of the ANI Integrity Council, President Maia Sandu expressed her dissatisfaction that in three years, since the institution was reformed, only six cases of confiscation of illegally acquired assets were initiated and none was completed. Among the six cases, there was not a judge. Only at the end of May, ANI announced that the magistrate Denis Guzun from the Chisinau Court risks losing his position and 3 million lei, after the inspectors found, during the wealth control procedure, a substantial difference between the acquired property and his revenues in a total amount of about 3 million lei. ANI notified the General Prosecutor's Office and ordered the property confiscation.

Asked by the reporters of the Anticoruptie.md portal, the ANI press officer, Maria Dastic, said that the institution is not authorized to investigate the criminal nature of the so-called donations. "In accordance with Art. 4 para. (1) lit. a) of the Law on the statement on property and personal interests, the subjects of the declaration must declare the incomes obtained by them together with the family members, the concubine in the previous fiscal year. Donations and inheritances are indicated in the Income from donations and inheritances rubric. The accuracy of the data in the declarations is verified during the control of the property and personal interests. Thus, in the situation where the subject of the statement declared imposing amounts at the rubric Income from donations and inheritances, he is required to present the documents that would confirm their origin.

Some judges, prosecutors, but also other subjects of the statement indicate income from organizing wedding, christening or birthday parties. If the income from donations is used to buy real estate and movable property, its mere declaration is not sufficient. The veracity of getting income from these events is to be confirmed, taking into account the fact that such events also require huge expenses. The presence of the criminal nature of the so-called “donations” cannot be analyzed in the abstract, or during the control performed by the integrity inspectors it is impossible to establish with certainty whether the funds were obtained by criminal methods. It is the competence of the Authority to carry out the control of the property, to request the confiscation of the unjustified property in a civil way and possibly to notify other bodies in case a crime was committed. Therefore, the research in terms of bribery is carried out by other institutions ", said Maria Dastic.

 

We remind that the prosecutors have previously started several cases against some judges, for illicit enrichment, among which the former president of the SCJ, Ion Druță and his colleague, Oleg Sternioala. However, their files were not sent to court. The first magistrate to stand trial for illicit enrichment is Oleg Melniciuc, the ex-president of the former Rascani Court in Chisinau. The case was started by prosecutors in the summer of 2017, and since October 2018, it is being investigated in the first instance court.

The investigation was completed under the project " Mobilizing Civil Society to Support Judicial Integrity in the Republic of Moldova", carried out by the Center for Investigative Journalism and Freedom House, with financial support of the US State Department.