Businessman and vet Fănel Bogos faces animal-cruelty trial amid wider corruption probe

Fănel Bogos, known as a businessman and veterinary doctor, faces charges of animal cruelty after a video showed him stabbing a horse twice in the neck and chest, leading to the animal’s death. The case, heard before judges in Bîrlad, was postponed, extending the timeline of a larger DNA investigation that also names former premier Ilie Bolojan. Bogos purchased the horse at a livestock fair in Iana and later asserted that the animal attacked him, a claim contradicted by witnesses who say he incited the horse’s behavior.

Prosecutors highlight the graphic video as key evidence, while a forester who sold the horse testified that Bogos had bound the animal to a metal post before the stabbing. The animal-cruelty indictment is intertwined with allegations of corruption involving high-level officials, reservists, and members of intelligence services, illustrating a complex network of alleged wrongdoing.