Moldovan police conduct more searches related to voter bribery by Kremlin-aligned party – video

Moldovan police have conducted further searches tied to the Șor party and the Victorie electoral bloc in an investigation into suspected voter bribery funded by Russia.

Source: Moldovan news outlet Newsmaker, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Moldova's General Inspectorate of Police reported that police and prosecutors had carried out searches in Chișinău and Rîșcani as part of multiple criminal investigations into vote-buying and unlawful party financing.

The police stated that the searches once again revealed that members of pro-Russian politician Ilan Shor's network and the Victorie bloc were recruiting Moldovan citizens, offering money in exchange for votes "against one of the candidates".

During the searches, police confiscated various items, including smartphones belonging to the suspects. These devices contained the application of Russian Promsvyazbank, used by participants in the scheme to receive funds, as well as labour contracts with the Russian organisation Eurasia and substantial amounts of money.

Earlier, the Moldovan police noted that over US$24 million had been transferred from Russia to Moldova before the presidential election and the EU referendum and that fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor was behind it.

Background: 

• On 3 November, Moldova will conduct the second round of presidential elections, featuring incumbent President Maia Sandu and pro-Russian candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo. Postal voting for this round has already concluded.
• In the first round of voting, Maia Sandu secured 42.37% of the votes, while Alexandr Stoianoglo, the candidate from the pro-Russian Party of Socialists of Moldova, garnered 26.02%.

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