Irina Gutnic has been removed as deputy mayor of Chișinău by Ion Ceban and has since accused him of illegal dismissal and abuse of power, while also filing a complaint with Moldova’s National Anti-Corruption Centre. The dispute has widened into a public political and legal clash involving allegations about city hall management, internal corruption, and questions over the legality of the mayor’s decision.
Dismissal of Irina Gutnic
As reported by Ion Ceban on Facebook and quoted by Ziarul de Gardă, he signed the revocation order for Irina Gutnic on 11 May and said only that he had ended her delegated duties. He did not publicly explain the reason for the dismissal, which immediately fuelled speculation in the Moldovan media about the real motive behind the move.
According to Europa Liberă and other outlets covering the same development, Gutnic had served as deputy mayor of Chișinău for about four years before being removed from office. Reporting from EVZ and Ziarul de Gardă says the dismissal came amid earlier scrutiny over her public image and wealth declarations, although Ceban himself did not present those matters as his formal reason.
Gutnic’s complaint to CNA
As reported by Point.md and echoed by other Moldovan outlets, Gutnic filed a complaint with the National Anti-Corruption Centre alleging abuse of power by Ceban. She said the mayor’s decision had been taken in violation of the law and announced that she would pursue the matter in court as well.
Point.md quoted Gutnic as saying that she was acting because “the law must be respected” and should not be violated. The same outlet said she intended to challenge the dismissal in court, arguing that even her lawyers had raised doubts about the legality of the administrative act and were surprised that no Chișinău Municipal Council meeting had been held before the decision.
Allegations of unlawful management
As reported by Jurnal TV, Gutnic accused the city administration of abusive management and political control, calling Ceban a
“danger for Chișinău and the Republic of Moldova”.
The channel said she insisted the real reason for her removal was connected to conversations about practices inside the municipal administration rather than any formal disciplinary issue.
Jurnal TV also reported that Gutnic said she was not seeking a return to City Hall beside Ceban, but wanted the law to be respected. In the same coverage, she said she would contest the decision in court and that her complaint was aimed at what she described as an abuse of power.
Accusations inside City Hall
As reported by Radio Moldova in a separate corruption-related piece, Irina Gutnic has previously been named in allegations about questionable approvals within Chișinău City Hall. PAS councillors claimed that several senior officials had been involved in a scheme involving the illegal authorisation of 12 residential towers on Bucovinei Street, in breach of the city’s urban master plan.
That report named Chief Architect Svetlana Dogotaru, Deputy Architect Igor Vrabie, Deputy Mayors Ilie Ceban and Irina Gutnic, and Council Secretary Adrian Talmaci as people allegedly responsible for the scheme, according to the PAS councillors cited by Radio Moldova. The same article said the permits were alleged to have been designed to favour a single private developer and that the land had been artificially divided to disguise the scale of the project.
Integrity checks and past scrutiny
As reported by Ziarul de Gardă and EVZ, Gutnic had already been the subject of scrutiny from Moldova’s National Integrity Authority. Ziarul de Gardă said a control of her assets and personal interests was launched at the end of 2025 after a complaint linked to a journalistic investigation by TV8.
EVZ reported that Gutnic had attracted attention over luxury clothes and vehicles, while also noting that she had previously said her outfits were replicas and that the luxury cars were borrowed from a wedding godfather. The same report said ANI had already examined her assets more than once and that an earlier finding in 2024 concluded she had breached the legal regime on assets and personal interests by omitting or misstating information in her declarations.
Political fallout in Chișinău
As reported by Jurnal TV, Gutnic also left Ceban’s party, the National Alternative Movement, after her dismissal. The channel said the former deputy mayor had sharpened her criticism of the mayor, presenting the dispute not as a personal quarrel but as a political and administrative conflict over how the municipality is run.
Newsmaker’s coverage of the wider clash said Gutnic had entered open conflict with Ceban and portrayed him as a threat to the capital and the country. That outlet also reported claims that she had filed the CNA complaint against him for abuse of power and was preparing a court action.
City hall dispute grows
As reported by Moldova1 and other outlets, the Chișinău city administration has repeatedly been drawn into corruption-related disputes, adding context to the Gutnic–Ceban confrontation. Moldova1 earlier reported tension around municipal utility firm Infocom, where Ceban ordered an internal probe and dismissals amid allegations of wrongdoing, while critics accused him of shifting responsibility.
That broader backdrop matters because Gutnic’s complaint does not appear in isolation. It lands in a municipal environment already marked by allegations of misuse of authority, accusations of opaque decision-making, and repeated public disputes over how City Hall handles appointments, contracts and oversight.
What the reports say
Across the coverage, the core facts are consistent: Ceban removed Gutnic, Gutnic says the move was illegal, and she has now taken the dispute to anti-corruption authorities and the courts. The media reports also agree that the mayor did not publicly explain his decision in detail at the time of dismissal.
The surrounding claims differ in emphasis. Some outlets focus on luxury branding, integrity checks and asset scrutiny, while others highlight alleged corruption in City Hall’s planning or utility systems. Together, they show a fast-moving political row that has widened into questions about governance, accountability and legality in Chișinău.
Legal and political stakes
As reported by Point.md, Gutnic is preparing a court challenge, which could turn the dispute into a formal test of the mayor’s authority and the procedures used in municipal dismissals. If her argument succeeds, the case could raise questions about how senior city officials may be removed and whether council consultation is required in such decisions.
The political stakes are also high because both figures are prominent in Chișinău politics, and the feud is unfolding in public view. For Ceban, the case adds pressure over transparency and internal governance; for Gutnic, it places her at the centre of a dispute that mixes administrative law, anti-corruption claims and political rupture.
Wider significance
As reported by Ziarul de Gardă and Jurnal TV, the dispute is not just about one personnel decision but about trust in City Hall’s decision-making and the legitimacy of internal power structures. In that sense, the case reflects a broader pattern in Moldovan local politics, where administrative actions are often contested through both media and legal channels.
