Socialist Party (PSRM) MP Ala Ursu-Antoci has called on Prime Minister-designate Vasile Tofan not to retain Mircea Esanu as director of the Public Services Agency (ASP) or appoint him to another position in the future government.
Speaking at a press briefing, Ursu-Antoci alleged that the ASP has tolerated a system of corruption in the examination process for driver’s license applicants, according to IPN.
The lawmaker claimed that the problems within the agency’s driver’s examination division go beyond isolated incidents and amount to institutionalized corruption. She alleged that some candidates are deliberately failed during the practical driving test in order to pressure them into paying bribes to pass.
Ursu-Antoci also criticized the online booking system for driving examinations, saying that applicants in Chisinau and Balti currently wait between 45 and 60 days to take the practical test. She argued that the delays are being maintained artificially.
The MP further referred to previous investigations that led to the administrative cancellation of nearly 700 fraudulently obtained driver’s licenses issued through ASP offices in Balti and Edinet. She argued that the agency’s leadership should have accepted responsibility and resigned following the case.
According to Ursu-Antoci, irregularities in the driver’s licensing process also pose a threat to road safety because fraudulently issued licenses may contribute to serious traffic accidents.
Contacted by IPN for comment on the allegations, ASP Director Mircea Esanu did not respond to phone calls or messages before the article was published.
The ASP has not publicly responded to the accusations.