Murder in Rascani district of Chisinau: two accomplices detained in Moldova, United Kingdom

Chisinau, 3 September /MOLDPRES/ - Two accomplices of a murder committed in the Rascani district of the Moldovan capital on 10 July 2024 have been detained by law-enforcement bodies of Moldova and the United Kingdom. Also, warrants of arrest were issued on the names of the killer and another accomplice of the crime. The two persons were put on the international wanted list. The head of the General Police Inspectorate (IGP), Viorel Cernauteanu, and the acting chief prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating the Organized Crime and Special Causes (PCCOCS), Victor Furtuna, today unveiled information to this effect at a news conference.    

Following the investigations made, the two law-enforcers presented details on the committing of the crime. The murder would have been committed by the killer, in complicity with another three persons. At the same time, the law-enforcers say that other people involved might exist too.    

According to IGP head Viorel Cernauteanu, the killer had a ‘’stolen identity.’’ The crime would have been committed for revenge, as the perpetrator would have said in 2012 that he would avenge the shot person, who would have killed his brother.     

„The suspect and one of the accomplices, who is his concubine, have earlier been in Moldova. They visited more shooting galleries from Chisinau, as they used to go to shoot together. It was established that one of the accomplices rented a flat in the Rascani district of the capital. The flat was nearby the terrace and had an open view to the place of the crime. A camera was at the balcony of the apartment. On the day when the murder was committed, the suspect purchased a scooter at a trade centre. He refused to provide personal data, in order to benefit from sales and to get a guarantee,’’ Viorel Cernauteanu said.       

The head of the National Police noted that, following the committing of the crime, the man had gone to the rented flat and subsequently he went to North Bus Terminal, where he got onboard of a car which went to Iasi. ‘’The mini-bus crossed the border through Sculeni customs checkpoint. On the same evening, the suspect went to the Iasi airport, where he took off to Bergamo, Italy. The killer is prosecuted also in other states for the same type of offence. Another two accomplices left Moldova too,’’ Cernauteanu also said.     .  

For his part, the acting chief prosecutor of PCCOCS, Victor Furtuna, stressed that the prosecutors, jointly with the employees of the IGP structures, had carried out a quite big volume of work. The investigation measures allowed establishing the exact actions as to the committing of the murder.      

„So far, no details have been presented, in order not to jeopardize the march of the inquiry. Following the carrying out of the criminal prosecution measures, the people suspected were accused and warrant of arrest were issued against them. Also, they were put on international wanted list. One of the accomplices was detained in the United Kingdom. We are to establish whether the citizen’s extradition will be possible or not and what legislative leverages there are to this end. If the extradition is not possible, the procedural transfer will take place, so that the suspect is prosecuted on the territory of that state,’’ Victor Furtuna also said.        

On 2 September, law-enforcers made searches at another accomplice from Moldova. The raids took place at his place of residence and automobile.  

„Following the actions, the person was detained for 72 hours. Presently, the suspect cooperates with the inquiry. He has earlier contributed to the destruction of certain evidence in the cause. The suspect had right to own guns,’’ Furtuna noted.   

If found guilty, the suspects run the risk of being sentenced for 15-20 years of imprisonment or to get life sentence.

On 10 July 2024, nearby a terrace, an unidentified person, while moving by an electric scooter, made four shots in the back and three ones in the head of a 41-year-old man, Turkish citizen. He died immediately. Law-enforcers informed that the victim had been member of a crime ring.    

Following the committing of the crime, Prosecutor General’s Office opened a criminal file on this case, according the elements of the offence of murder committed with particular cruelty.