Professors of the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova (ASEM) and a number of intermediaries were arrested on suspicion that they facilitated the passing of exams, annual and Bachelor’s theses and gave grades for production practice for money, IPN reports.
According to the National Anticorruption Center, the collected extensive evidence confirms the preliminary information. Intermediaries from outside the institution were responsible for the identification of students. For sums of money that varied depending on the complexity of the service, the intermediaries contacted public persons of the ASEM, mainly teachers, and offered them a part of the money received for helping students pass exams, keeping a part for the intermediation services.
It was established that the students paid up to 1,000 lei per exam, 1,000 to 1,500 lei for the production practice grade and €400 to €550 for having their bachelor’s or master’s degree theses accepted. Consequently, the students were assessed by fictitious teachers, mainly without being physically present at the exam.
About 60 teachers and other public persons of the ASEM are suspected of being involved in the exam business.
The National Anticorruption Center and the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office carried out searches at the university, in the personal offices of suspects and at their domicile and at the homes of other network members. As a result, nine person, six of whom ASEM teachers and three intermediaries, were arrested for 72 hours.
