Ion Munteanu warns of election fraud attempts ahead of 2024 vote
Currently, there are no signs of potential destabilizations of the internal situation from organized criminal groups, stated Prosecutor General Ion Munteanu in an interview with Radio Moldova.
However, with the parliamentary elections approaching, he does not rule out an intensification of such actions, similar to those observed during the autumn elections.
“These actions could take various forms. We are aware that the intention and the goal is to somehow distort the fair electoral process that should take place next year. This is our shared goal and mission—to ensure every citizen of the Republic of Moldova has the right to a free vote and a fair electoral process,” said Ion Munteanu.
Previously, we made several pieces of information public, according to which groups of organized individuals, trained outside the Republic of Moldova, came under the scrutiny of law enforcement with the intention of potentially inciting public order destabilizations. Thanks to law enforcement and the Prosecutor’s Office, these actions have been successfully controlled and discouraged,” Munteanu added.
At the same time, the methods employed by organized criminal groups to manipulate elections, including through electoral corruption, are constantly evolving, and the authorities are making every effort to track them and take necessary measures, Munteanu explained.
“We are well aware that this is not the peak stage; I know that criminals will adapt their methods in response to the impact of our criminal investigation actions. We are in constant meetings with law enforcement, closely monitoring what is happening and identifying new methods or trends in attempts to bribe voters. We are identifying cases where virtual currencies are being used,” the Prosecutor General clarified.
“We are in discussions with the legislative and executive branches to adapt the legislation and clarify how cryptocurrency transactions should be regulated,” Munteanu specified.
The National Anticorruption Center announced that, to date, it has imposed fines totaling over 10 million lei for cases of passive electoral corruption. The individuals who were sanctioned received fines ranging from 25,000 to 37,500 lei.
The full interview will be available for viewing on Thursday, December 26, at radiomoldova.md, on the company’s Facebook pages, and on YouTube.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
