The President of the National Olympic Committee, Nicolae Juravschi, is accused of money laundering, corruption and theft of funds, intended for athletes. The accusation was brought in a press conference, held on August 17, by Fiodor Ghelici, President of the Public Control Commission under the Civil Society Council attached to the President of the Republic of Moldova. The National Olympic Committee (NOC) rejected the allegations.

According to Ghelici, several athletes complained that the National Olympic Committee withdraws on a monthly basis a part of the award that the candidates to the Olympic Games receive. The award is 1.5 thousand dollars per month. The athletes, who complained, declared that the Committee withdraws 500 dollars each month from this amount.

“We were invited to the Olympic Committee, where we signed a contract, by which we are to receive an award of 1, 5 thousand dollars to prepare for the Olympic Games. We were told that we would receive one thousand dollars to for the preparations, while 500 dollars would remain in the Olympic Committee deposit, for the purchase of vitamins, equipment and other things necessary for the participation in the Olympic Games. However, we did not receive anything of this kind,” Alexandra Camensic, a participant in the Olympic Games, said during the press conference.

Additionally, the President of the Biathlon Federation, Petru Bria, noted that there are less than five months until the upcoming Olympics, but the NOC did not allocate any financial resources for the training of the athletes and all preparations are made at the expense of the Federation.

The same was stated by the vice-president of the Taekwondo Federation, Valentin Conev.

In the press conference, Fiodor Ghelici also presented an audit report, showing that Nicolae Juravschi and his family had received money from the NOC for their personal expenses. Ghelici said he would form a commission to check this institution and make the results public.

On the other hand, the National Olympic Committee qualified Ghelici’s attacks against the institution and its president, Nicolae Juravschi, as being totally unfounded, being based solely on false data and said in an uncivilized language.

The institution is puzzled by Ghelici’s claim that his actions were allegedly coordinated with the President of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Dodon, and awaits a confirmation from the presidential institution.

So far, no press release in this respect has been published on the Presidency’s website.

The Olympic Committee has also said that they could sue all the people who, through their actions and statements, are damaging the honor and dignity of the institution.

 August 2017

Crime Moldova

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