The Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office completed the investigation and sent to court the criminal case against former MP Chiril Luchinski, who was arrested two months ago in the case of the frauds committed at Banca de Economii, Banca Sociala and Unibank, IPN reports.

The ex-MP, being the manager and effective beneficiary of Toast Delux SRL and IPA International Project Agency, aiming to obtain funds stolen from the Moldovan banking system, laundered money together with other accomplices. In 2012-2014, a number of offshore companies, based on fictitious contracts for the provision of consultancy services, transferred US$ 440,000 to the non-resident company IPA International Project Agency, with accounts opened in Liechtenstein. Tracing the money, it was established that this came from loans taken out in the period from Banca de Economii, Banca Sociala and Unibank through the agency of offshore companies.

It was also established that in 2013, Toast Delux SRL raised another loan from Unibank without security, to the value of 5 million lei. Later, the money was converted and transferred to a non-resident company through the agency of a group of companies. Ultimately, over US$ 401,000 reached the accounts of Rouseau Alliance LP, which, for its part, transferred the money to Banca de Economii with the aim of repaying the toxic loans.

Money laundering carries a penalty of up to ten years’ imprisonment.

The ex-MP is also investigated for not declaring in his tax returns ownership of Toast Delux SRL and IPA International Project Agency and the money transferred to the accounts of the two companies, which was used for personal purposes, to pay for the studies of his children abroad.

The ex-MP was arrested on May 25 and was later placed under house arrest. He pleads not guilty.