Former Agriculture State Secretary sent to trial for influence peddling

A former state secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry will stand trial for influence peddling in a case concerning the resumption of feed imports from Ukraine. The National Anticorruption Center (NAC) announced on 2 November 2026 that the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office had referred the case to the Chișinău Court, Buiucani seat.

What do prosecutors allege?

According to the NAC, the former state secretary allegedly received the money to intervene with officials at the National Agency for Food Safety (ANSA). The alleged intervention was intended to enable the economic operator to resume importing feed for poultry and livestock from Ukraine.

The charges are based on evidence gathered by the NAC together with the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office. The former official denies the charges against her.

Why had imports been suspended?

ANSA had suspended the import procedure after inspections identified irregularities in the feed, according to the NAC. The checks detected residues of a substance not authorised for use in animals intended for human consumption.

Treating animals and poultry with the substance in question was considered illegal, the NAC says. The resumption of import permission is the intervention for which the accused allegedly received the 70,000 lei.

What happens next in court?

The Chișinău Court, Buiucani seat, will examine the merits of the case. For the alleged offence, the law provides for a fine of between 100,000 and 150,000 lei or imprisonment for up to six years.

The economic operator’s representative was sent to trial separately in September under a plea agreement, after being detained in early June. According to the NAC, such an agreement allows the sentence provided by law to be reduced by one third.

The referral of the case to court does not establish the former state secretary’s guilt. The accused is presumed innocent until a final court ruling.