Constanța medical school corruption case: Two lecturers and two students detained over exam bribes

Romania’s anti-corruption prosecutors detained two lecturers and two medical students in a case involving alleged bribes for passing exams at Ovidius University’s Faculty of Medicine in Constanța.

DNA said university assistant Raluca Talpeș faces allegations of accepting bribes on a continued basis in 15 acts. Assistant lecturer Batuhan Omeroglu and students identified as I.A. and Z.I.D. face allegations of aiding continued bribery, also in 15 acts each. All four were detained for 24 hours starting Sept. 5, 2026.

Prosecutors allege that between May and September 2026, Talpeș demanded and received money from students through the other three suspects. The intermediaries allegedly identified at least 15 students seeking to pass failed anatomy exams, collected the money and promised results. Payments allegedly ranged from 600 euros for a colloquium to 2,500 euros for an exam, with total bribes exceeding 37,100 euros.

The intermediaries allegedly kept a commission before passing the remainder to the examining lecturer. DNA searched 26 locations in Constanța on Sept. 4 and seized unexplained sums of money. Other people are also under investigation.

The four suspects were scheduled to appear before the Constanța Tribunal, where prosecutors would seek 30 days of pretrial detention. The university said DNA representatives carried out procedural activities at the medical faculty and that it was cooperating fully with investigators and providing documents as required by law. The allegations remain subject to the ongoing criminal investigation.