Moldovan and Romanian call centers linked to financial fraud; organizers detained in a Eurojust-led operation

The organizers of call centers involved in financial fraud, which defrauded Romanian citizens of over one million lei, were detained in a joint operation between Romania and the Republic of Moldova, carried out under the auspices of Eurojust.

After several poker games in Chisinau, twin brothers were detained for blackmail

A poker game turned into a nightmare for a 22-year-old man from Chisinau. He was allegedly threatened with death and forced to pay thousands of euros to twin brothers who claimed he owed them money from gambling games.

Chisinau Courthouse imposes strict access rules to ensure magistrates' safety

Chisinau Courthouse announced stricter access rules for court premises to ensure the safety of magistrates and the smooth conduct of court hearings, following an assault on a magistrate during a court hearing on January 29.

Former Boldurești mayor Nicanor Ciochină will remain in detention for 20 more days

The former mayor of Boldurești, Nisporeni district, Nicanor Ciochină, will remain in preventive detention for another 20 days. This decision was made on February 17 at the request of the prosecutors.

Sabotage in favor of Russia? Young man from the Republic of Moldova, detained in Poland

A 25-year-old man from Moldova was detained by Polish law enforcement officers after allegedly pulling the emergency brake of a freight train carrying crude oil.

Local firm exports wines to US under French brand; millions in damages

A Moldovan company allegedly produced and exported wine branded as French to the United States of America (USA). Law enforcement officers uncovered a scheme involving copyright infringement, with estimated damages of around five million lei.

“Kuliok” case: Vladimir Plahotniuc forcibly brought and questioned at Supreme Court of Justice as witness

After several postponements and a refusal to voluntarily appear in court, Vladimir Plahotniuc was forcibly brought to the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) hearing on February 17 in the "kuliok" case, where he is a witness.

Legislative pivot: Moldova restores lawyer autonomy following European Commission scrutiny

On February 12, Moldovan lawmakers voted to repeal controversial amendments to the Law on Advocacy that would have allowed Justice Ministry officials to sit on lawyer licensing and disciplinary commissions.

Election pressures and judicial bottlenecks stall Moldova’s anti-corruption momentum

The Republic of Moldova’s score in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) has decreased by one point, falling from 43 to 42. While the change suggests stagnation rather than a total collapse, Transparency International experts warn that the pace of judicial reform must accelerate.

Judicial reform: Moldova initiates external evaluation for specialized corruption panels

The Evaluation Commission has formally launched the external vetting process for judges previously serving on specialized anti-corruption panels. This mandatory integrity screening targets magistrates from the Chișinău Court who handled corruption cases dating back to January 1, 2017.

Venice Commission mission evaluates legal safeguards against voter fraud in Moldova

A high-level fact-finding mission from the Venice Commission is visiting the Republic Moldova on February 4–5. The rapporteurs are conducting a series of strategic consultations to finalize an official opinion on the nation’s stringent anti-corruption legislation.

Two patrol officers face bribery charges for falsifying traffic citations in Nisporeni and Ungheni

Anti-corruption officers have launched a criminal investigation into two employees of the National Inspectorate of Public Security (INSP). The officers are suspected of forging official reports and accepting bribes to protect traffic violators.