New Culture Minister Dan Suruceanu has owned a company for 20 years together with a veterinarian convicted of corruption. Suruceanu is also a friend of a businessman involved in the non-performing loans case linked to the former Savings Bank of Moldova (BEM). In addition, during his previous position at Arena Chisinau, he allegedly received unjustified payments of 141,000 lei, according to an audit by the Court of Accounts, reports Europa Libera.
According to his official CV submitted to Parliament, Suruceanu describes himself as the “owner” and “founder” of Ecvetimpex SRL, a company established in 2005. However, he does not mention that his business partner, holding a 50% stake in the company, is Nicolae Gangal, former head of the Republican Veterinary Diagnostic Center, who was convicted in 2018 and received a five-year suspended sentence for abuse of office.
Gangal was found guilty of allegedly favoring a company in a public procurement procedure for rabies vaccines, causing estimated losses of more than 1.4 million lei to the National Food Safety Agency (ANSA). The funds came from a program co-financed by the European Union.
Suruceanu confirmed to Europa Libera that he founded the company together with Gangal but said he had not been in contact with him since then and that the company is inactive. According to the minister, its only activity was the sale of 20 horses to the municipal police. Suruceanu said he only recently learned about his former business partner’s conviction.
The minister also has ties with businessman Vladislav Boghii, whom he describes as “my friend.” The two worked together at AS Petrol, a company involved in the cancellation of a 19.5 million lei debt owed to the state. Later, Suruceanu worked as a sales manager at an oil company owned by Boghii.
Boghii is also involved in litigation related to a 25 million lei non-performing loan from BEM, which was later transferred to a debt portfolio acquired by a company controlled by Ilan Shor. Suruceanu said he was not familiar with the details of that case.
At his previous workplace, Arena Chisinau, an audit by the Court of Accounts found that Suruceanu, who served as deputy administrator since 2023, allegedly received a salary exceeding the legal limit by 11,700 lei per month for one year, totaling more than 141,000 lei in excess payments. Suruceanu rejected the finding, saying the difference came from bonuses for weekend work.
At Arena Chisinau, Suruceanu was also involved in contracts for concerts by Russian artists listed in Ukraine’s “Myrotvorets” database, including Diana Arbenina, whose concert was later canceled by the ministry as “inappropriate.” Suruceanu said he did not have the authority to ban such events, as that responsibility belonged to state institutions.
Suruceanu is one of four new members of the government led by Prime Minister Vasile Tofan, who said he relied on his managerial experience. The nephew of singer Ion Suruceanu, the new minister has previously worked at the Art Museum, a fitness company, and a road construction equipment firm, saying that his experience at Arena Chisinau would be the most useful in his new role.