Anastasia Taburceanu
Anastasia Taburceanu is President Maia Sandu’s cousin and a former communications specialist at state enterprise MoldATSA. She previously worked as spokesperson and adviser in Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița’s cabinet. In June 2025 she joined MoldATSA without a public contest on pay far above normal rates; after the public scandal she resigned and repaid the money. A criminal case was opened over the hiring and pay.
Main accusations
1. Hiring without a competition at a strategic state enterprise. In early June 2025 the president’s cousin was taken into MoldATSA communications without a public contest — she later confirmed that herself. Maia Sandu said she was not involved in the hire but requested and received data on her relative’s pay.
2. Extreme pay from a state enterprise. In 2025 her pay exceeded 500,000 lei (on average over 75,000 a month). In 2026 monthly income exceeded 120,000 lei — about eight times the average wage and nearly four times the president’s salary. She said the base salary was 25,700 lei; the rest came from bonuses and supplements. In December 2025 a single month peaked at 149,050 lei.
3. She returned the money only after the scandal. On 23 June 2026 she announced her resignation and promised to return the bonuses. She then repaid the full payroll package of 1,101,766.12 lei in four instalments on 6, 9, 13 and 14 July 2026. Sandu publicly called such payments undeserved.
4. Criminal case over hiring and pay. After a denunciation on 24 June 2026 (register No. 13945), on 29 June criminal case No. 2026970513 was opened under Article 327(4) of the Criminal Code — abuse of power or official position. On 30 June searches were carried out at MoldATSA. The circumstances of her hiring and pay are examined in that case.
5. A career through power without transparency. First she was spokesperson for the Gavrilița government. Then, by her own account, from April 2023 to October 2025 she advised Prime Minister Dorin Recean without an official post and without asset declarations. While already at MoldATSA she also provided communication services for the State Chancellery and the Growth Plan. After the scandal the Public Property Agency ordered pay-policy checks at MoldATSA and 21 other state companies.
Links to the regime
Direct kinship with President Sandu and years inside PAS power structures — from the Gavrilița cabinet to Recean’s orbit and a strategic state enterprise. Her scandal became part of the wider MoldATSA crisis (dismissals of the director, the APP head, and MP Marian).
Criminal Code of the Republic of Moldova
· Art. 327 Abuse of power or official position (incl. para. 4 — opened case)
· Art. 328 Excess of power or official authority
· Art. 326 Trading in influence
· Art. 330-2 Illegal enrichment
· Art. 176 Violation of citizens’ equality
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