18 people were detained in a corruption case at the Design Institute for Land Management.
This was reported by the Prosecutor General's Office, noting that among them the deputy director and five other officials of the institute. They were detained today following searches conducted by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and the National Anti-Corruption Center as part of a criminal case opened on the basis of abuse of office, passive corruption, active corruption and abuse of influence. In addition to six responsible persons from the Design Institute for Land Management, 12 individuals were also detained, including the beneficiaries of some companies. The arrests were carried out following 55 searches conducted this morning in the homes, offices and vehicles of the persons concerned, and they are currently being interrogated in compliance with the procedural guarantees established by law. According to available data, from March to July 2021, specialists from the Project Institute for Land Management demanded and received from individuals and beneficiaries of some companies amounts from 250 to 2000 euros. In exchange for these amounts, the responsible persons reduced the soil bonitet (an indicator of soil quality, their fertility and productivity) in the study for lands belonging to the customers of soil research, thereby causing damage to the budget of local public administrations on an especially large scale. The criminal investigation is ongoing.// 09.08.2021 — InfoMarket






