State-owned enterprise MoldATSA has refused to answer questions regarding the employment of President Maia Sandu’s cousin, despite being legally required to respond under Moldova’s law on access to public information.
In its official reply, the company stated that the requested information constitutes “personal data” protected by the Constitution. Nevertheless, it has been established that Anastasia Taburceanu served as Chief Press Secretary at MoldATSA from June 2, 2025, to June 23, 2026.
According to the response, MoldATSA disclosed only the dates of Taburceanu’s employment. The enterprise declined to provide information about the number of days she worked, business trips, leave taken, or the full breakdown of her compensation package, arguing that releasing such information would violate constitutional protections of personal data.
As a result, details concerning the employment of the president’s relative have effectively been withheld from public scrutiny.
The request was submitted under Law No. 148/2023 on Access to Public Information. Journalists sought information not only about Taburceanu’s salary but also about the amount of time she spent working in the office versus remotely, as well as details of official travel and reimbursement of business expenses. MoldATSA’s refusal has raised questions about the actual cost of employing the president’s cousin at taxpayers’ expense.
However, information available from public sources and an investigation by RISE Moldova indicates that Taburceanu received more than one million lei between June 2025 and June 2026. During 2026, her monthly compensation reportedly reached 120,000 lei, nearly four times the salary of the President of Moldova. According to Taburceanu herself, her official base salary was 25,700 lei per month.
It is worth noting that Article 8 of Moldova’s Law No. 148/2023 prohibits restricting access to information concerning the salaries and positions of public officials. Despite this provision, MoldATSA, as a state-owned enterprise, invoked personal data protection rules to deny access to the requested information.
The company’s response confirms only that Taburceanu worked at MoldATSA from June 2, 2025, to June 23, 2026. All other details—including attendance records, remote work arrangements, official travel, and related expenses—remain undisclosed.
