Moldova police warn citizens against electoral fraud
The Police of the Republic of Moldova issued a public notice urging citizens to refrain from engaging in electoral fraud.
In SMS messages, authorities warned that offering or accepting money in exchange for votes constitutes a serious crime, punishable by fines reaching tens of thousands of lei and potentially imprisonment.
The SMS message reads: “Police Notice: Dear citizens, please be aware of electoral fraud. If someone attempts to bribe you, call the police. Offering money incurs a fine of 57,000 lei or up to 5 years of imprisonment; accepting money results in a 37,500 lei fine.”
It is noted that just last week, the National Anti-Corruption Center imposed fines totaling over one million lei for electoral bribery.
It is worth mentioning that on Monday, October 28, the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Moldova stated in a press conference that electoral bribery and political party financing orchestrated by the “Șor criminal group” have reached an unprecedented scale. Since September 2022, massive amounts of illicit funds have entered the Republic of Moldova from the Russian Federation, initially through smuggling or cryptocurrency transfers and later via a Russian bank under international sanctions. A total of 50 million lei has been seized and confiscated. Twenty-eight individuals have been detained, and 35 face charges.
Although Șor’s lawyers are resisting, Prosecutor General Ion Munteanu assures the public that law enforcement has “the time, resources, strength, and patience” to apply the law “firmly and fairly.”
Translation by Iurie Tataru
