The former head of SIS Moldova, the spy who allegedly disclosed state secrets to Belarusian KGB officers, remains in custody
The alleged Romanian-Moldovan spy suspected of divulging state secrets to officers from the State Security Committee – KGB of the Republic of Belarus, “under conditions likely to endanger the national security of Romania”, remains in preventive detention, the Supreme Court decided on Wednesday.
Alexandru Bălan remains in custody PHOTO: Inquam Photos/George Călin
“Rejects, as unfounded, the appeal filed by the defendant Bălan Alexandru against the conclusion of January 29, 2026, issued by the judge of rights and freedoms of the Bucharest Court of Appeal – First Criminal Section, in file no. 438/2/2026 (331/2026)”is the solution given on Wednesday by the High Court of Cassation and Justice.
The Supreme Court obliges Bălan to pay the amount of 300 lei, as legal expenses to the state, and the partial fee due to the ex officio appointed defender for the appellant, in the amount of 100 lei, remains the responsibility of the state and is borne from the funds of the Ministry of Justice, News writes.
The decision of the ICCJ is final
Alexandru Bălan challenged the January 29 decision of the Bucharest Court of Appeal, which ordered the extension of his preventive arrest measure, for a period of 30 days, starting from February 7 to March 8, inclusive.
Alexandru Bălan, a man with dual citizenship – Moldovan and Romanian – was detained last year by the prosecutors of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism – Central Structure, for attempted treason by transmitting secret state information, in continuous form.
According to the Romanian authorities, the judicial activities were carried out together with the police officers of the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime of the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police, and the investigation, carried out under the auspices of EUROJUST, benefited from the support of the intelligence services from Romania, Hungary and the Czech Republic, as well as the support of prosecutors from Hungary, the Czech Republic and the Republic of Moldova.
On September 8, 2025, the investigators implemented an arrest warrant issued in the name of Alexandru Bălan, the suspect being detained at the airport in Timisoara and then brought to Bucharest. After more than seven hours spent in the DIICOT headquarters, where he had been brought for hearings, Bălan was detained and left without making statements to the press.
“From the evidence administered, it emerged that, starting from 2024 and until now, the suspect, who previously held leadership positions within the Intelligence and Security Service of the Republic of Moldova, was engaged in activities of unauthorized disclosure of some secret state information, to representatives of a foreign power, namely officers of the State Security Committee – KGB of the Republic of Belarus, in conditions likely to endanger the national security of Romania”showed DIICOT.
According to the cited source, between the years 2024-2025, the suspect had two meetings, both in Budapest – Hungary, with intelligence officers from the State Security Committee – KGB of the Republic of Belarus, there being reasonable suspicions that these meetings were aimed at transmitting instructions and making payments for the services rendered.
The Czech Republic, for its part, announced the expulsion of a Belarusian diplomat in connection with this case.
That evening, the Intelligence and Security Service of the Republic of Moldova (SIS) confirmed that an arrest warrant issued by the Romanian authorities was implemented in the name of a former high-ranking employee of his, investigated for treason, after he allegedly transmitted secret state information, in continuous form, to KGB officers from Belarus. According to the sources of the IPN agency, the former high-ranking officer from the Republic of Moldova is Alexandru Bălan, former deputy head of the SIS.
The press across the Prut reported that Alexandru Bălan was appointed as deputy head of the SIS in March 2016, during the government led by Pavel Filip, when the country's political life was dominated by Vladimir Plahotniuc, the oligarch now wanted for involvement in the embezzlement of a billion dollars from the Moldovan banking system. He graduated in 2000 from the Academy of Economic Studies in Chisinau and was employed at SIS.
“Since then, he has held various positions, but I can't tell you what they are, because it's a secret”the press officer of the SIS, Daniela Mânzat, declared at the time for Ziarul NAțIONAL.
The NAțIONAL newspaper mentioned that Alexandru Bălan had been accused a few years ago of being responsible for the escape of the Russian blogger Eduard Baghirov from the Republic of Moldova, while he was under house arrest, being investigated for organizing the protests of April 7, 2009.
