Millionaire officials at the National Bank of Moldova, the Constitutional Court, and the Ministry of Education appear to have a taste for luxury—at taxpayers’ expense.
In addition to purchasing two sets of luxury bed linen worth almost 80,000 lei (critics sarcastically suggest that National Bank Governor Anca Dragu must come to work to sleep in comfort), the central bank also bought a desk lamp for 22,000 lei, wooden swings costing nearly 40,000 lei, and a magnetic puzzle board priced at 18,000 lei.
These unusual purchases come on top of almost 2 million lei recently spent by the National Bank on premium office furniture and furnishings.
The Constitutional Court has also attracted attention for its spending priorities. Last year, the institution allocated more than 122,000 lei to the purchase of wine and premium divin (Moldovan brandy). Critics have sarcastically suggested that such purchases might explain some of the court’s controversial decisions.
The Ministry of Education has likewise faced criticism after spending 295,000 lei on solid wood frames intended for paintings or mirrors.
