Moldova's Chisinau Mayor Detained as Part of Corruption Probe

The Molodvan anti-corruption center and prosecutors detained on Thursday the mayor of the capital city of Chisinau over corruption allegations.

CHISINAU (Sputnik) — Dorin Chirtoaca, the mayor of Moldova's capital of Chisinau was detained by the National Anti-Corruption Center and prosecutors in corruption case, the center's Press Secretary Angela Starinschi told Sputnik Thursday.

"[Mayor] of Chisinau is detained in the case on paid parking," Starinschi said.

After the detention, Chirtoaca said that he was not going to make any statements.

A number of the mayor's supports rallied near the national Anti-Corruption Center building.

As many as nine people were detained on Thursday in relation to corruption activities, including the secretary of Chisinau's Municipal Council and two councilors as well as six employees of the companies connected with the cases.

All the cases in relation to which the legal proceedings were initiated have been investigated for several months. According to law enforcement, during this period, video and audio evidence of numerous cases of abuse of authority, receiving and giving bribes and influencing certain decisions by the Municipal Council have been collected.

Over the recent months, Moldova's authorities have been pursuing active anti-corruption policies. In April, Starinschi said that the number of people detained in the country over corruption had reached 19, including three mayors as well as the heads and employees of nine companies.