Professors and students sent to court by DNA for bribery and illegal submission of subjects for the residency exam

The prosecutors of the National Anti-corruption Directorate – Galati Territorial Service have sent to court several university professors and students from “Dănărea de Jos” University Galati, accused of having facilitated the fraudulent promotion to the residency exam in Pharmacy, through bribery and sending the subjects before the exam.

The teachers received bribes in money PHOTO: Archive, the truth

The prosecutors of the National Anti-corruption Directorate – Galati Territorial Service ordered the prosecution, under judicial control, of university professor Dumitriu Buzia Olimpia, from the “Lower Danube” University Galati – Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy.

She is accused of taking bribes and using, in any way, directly or indirectly, information not intended for publicity or allowing unauthorized persons access to this information, in order to obtain undue benefits.

The defendant was president of the examination committee for obtaining the title of specialist pharmacist and coordinator of the residency group in the General Pharmacy specialization.

At the same time, the prosecutors sent to court, in a state of freedom, the university professors Robu Silvia and Bălănescu Fănică, secretary of the examination commission, for bribery, DM, a natural person without special status, for complicity in bribery, Boniface Florina, university assistant and president of the Galati College of Pharmacists, a student candidate for the residency exam, for two offenses of bribery, as well as 20 of student candidates for examination, for bribery and bribery in continuous form.

“Previously, the case was referred to the court, based on the provisions of Article 483 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, with the plea agreements against 7 defendants, students candidates for the residency exam, for the commission of the crimes of bribery (6 in the form of authorization, 3 in the form of complicity, one in the form of instigation), bribery in a continuous form and complicity in the use, in any way, directly or indirectly, of information that is not intended for advertising or allowing unauthorized persons access to this information (2 crimes)”, transmitted DNA.

Before the residency exam that was to take place in November 2024, the defendant Dumitriu Buzia Olimpia would have accepted on October 10, 2024, “the promise of offering the sum of 9,200 euros from a resident pharmacist and candidate for the exam, in connection with the fulfillment of the duties of the service, facilitating the fraudulent promotion of the candidates registered for the exam, i.e. obtaining the title of specialist pharmacist, by remitting the exam subjects”.

On October 15, 2024, the defendant Dumitriu Buzia Olimpia, would have provided the subjects in advance to the same resident candidate for the exam, in order to distribute them to the other residents who would have offered money for the purpose of defrauding the exam, given that this information was not intended for publicity at that time.

“In carrying out the same criminal action, on October 31, 2024, the defendant Robu Silvia, in the aforementioned capacity, allegedly received directly from a person a set of gold jewelry worth 6,209.90 lei, knowing that they came from the candidates registered for the residency exam, in connection with the performance of her duties, in order to facilitate the promotion of resident candidates fraudulently taking the respective exam and obtaining the title of pharmacist specialist in General Pharmacy”, stated the DNA.

Also, in the same context, on November 7, 2024, the defendant Bălănescu Fănică would have received the sum of 1,000 lei and other goods from one of the other defendants, from the candidates registered for the respective exam.

Thus, on November 8, 2024, the residency exam for the General Pharmacy specialization took place within the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of the “Lower Danube” University in Galaţi, in which 29 resident pharmacists participated, including the previously mentioned resident pharmacist, all of whom were declared admitted, with averages above 8.

At the same time, from the research carried out, it emerged that, during the course of the exam, the resident candidates were allowed by the members of the exam board to use information sources (mobile phones, smartwatches and notes in written format) to solve the exam topics.

“Under these conditions, on January 16, 2025, the defendant DM, the husband of the defendant Dumitriu Buzia Olimpia, would have received from a person close to the previously mentioned resident, the total amount of 9,200 euros as a bribe, for the defendant, for the purpose described previously”, claim DNA prosecutors.

In view of the special confiscation, the anti-corruption prosecutors ordered “the insuring measure of seizure on the sum of 9,200 euros, which was taken from the residence of the defendant Dumitriu Buzia Olimpia during the house searches carried out in the case, as well as on the jewelry set, taken from the residence of the defendant Robu Silvia”.

The DNA points out that the seven defendants (who entered into plea agreements) fully accepted the facts committed and had a sincere attitude during the investigations, the details provided to the anti-corruption prosecutors leading to the concrete establishment of the entire state of facts.

“In the presence of the lawyers, the seven defendants who previously entered into plea agreements expressly declared that they admit to committing the acts charged against them, accept the legal framework for which the criminal actions were initiated and agree to the type and amount of the punishments applied, as well as the form of their execution, respectively punishments between 2 years and 9 months of imprisonment with suspension of the execution of the punishment and one year, 2 months and 20 days in prison with suspension of the execution of the sentence, during periods of supervision of 2 years and 9 months, respectively of 2 yearsi”, explains DNA.

During the terms of supervision, the seven defendants will each perform unpaid work for the benefit of the community for a period of 60 days.

The criminal investigation file, as well as the plea agreements, were sent to the Galați Court for trial, with the proposal to maintain the preventive and protective measures ordered in the case.