Organized Crime and Terrorism prosecutors have conducted 37 searches in Bucharest, Ilfov and Iasi on Monday in a tax evasion and money laundering file.
Investigators suspect that an organized crime group created a EUR 27 M prejudice to the state budget trough tax evasion and money laundering. The suspects would have allegedly used false documents, in the attempt of absorbing European funds during 2010-2012, but they did not succeed. Searches were conducted at the European Funds Ministry’s headquarters and several PCs have been seized. 100 persons were about to be heard in this case.
According to DIICOT, the criminal group has acted as a pyramid scheme, setting up dummy companies on behalf of low-educated manipulable persons, especially based in poor rural regions in Moldova and Republic of Moldova. The group members controlled the false owners of the companies and use them to escape tax payments.