The Moldovan police detained the leader of a criminal group belonging to the organization of fugitive pro-Russian oligarch Ilan Shor. He is suspected of bribing citizens in the elections and referendum on the EU in Moldova.
A woman contacted law enforcement officers and said that she received 1.5 thousand Moldovan lei (about 3.5 thousand hryvnia) from a man in order to vote for a “specific candidate” in the elections, and in the referendum to vote against the country’s course towards the European Union.
During searches of the suspect’s home and office, police found lists of trusted persons, as well as observers at polling stations who were supposed to be paid to influence votes. The man was detained for three days.
Security forces in Moldova previously reported that in October Russia transferred more than $24 million to Moldova to bribe voters. The total amount exceeds 39 million rubles.
The voter bribery scheme began to operate at the end of spring, but the number of transfers increased just before the elections and referendum.
Everything happened through the Promsvyazbank application – people were helped to install bots in Telegram and received their phone numbers.
Currently, more than 520 people have been documented in Moldova as being involved in a voter bribery scheme. They face up to three years in prison or a heavy fine.
In addition, an unknown person, introducing himself as a law enforcement officer, sent the media a list containing the names of several thousand citizens allegedly associated with the network of the fugitive pro-Russian oligarch Elon Shor. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office said it would analyze the data on the list.
The anonymous letter also states that the people whose names are on the list “attracted citizens to protests, collected their personal data and opened accounts for them in Russian banks.”
Source: Racurs
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