Gagauzia governor Evghenia Guțul detained at Chișinău Airport
The Governor of Gagauzia, Evghenia Guțul, was detained for 72 hours at Chișinău Airport while attempting to leave the country.
The information was confirmed to Teleradio-Moldova by the spokesperson of the National Anticorruption Center (CNA), Angela Starinschi.
In light of the governor’s detention, the People's Assembly of Gagauzia (PAG) will convene an extraordinary session on Wednesday, according to PAG President Dimitri Konstantinov, who spoke to local media.
Meanwhile, officers of the National Anticorruption Center and prosecutors carried out searches in Orhei yesterday morning as part of a criminal case linked to the 2023 Gagauzia governor elections. The investigation focuses on allegations of illegal campaign financing, document forgery, and false statements. Authorities stated that the vice mayor of the municipality is also implicated in the case.
Additionally, the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office announced today that it has concluded the presentation of evidence in the case concerning the illegal financing of the now-outlawed "Șor" Party. If found guilty, Guțul faces up to seven years in prison.
It is worth noting that Evghenia Guțul, supported by fugitive oligarch Ilan Șor—who was convicted of bank fraud—won the Gagauz autonomy elections on May 14, 2023, and took office on July 19, 2023. Following the elections, Guțul and Șor’s team faced accusations of voter bribery. At that time, the National Anticorruption Center launched a criminal case investigating alleged vote-buying and violations in the management of political party funds and electoral campaign financing. Both Guțul and Șor have denied the allegations.
On April 24, 2024, the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office announced that it had completed the criminal investigation and forwarded the case against Evghenia Guțul and a secretary from the former "Șor" Party’s Central Office—declared unconstitutional in 2023—to the court for trial. They are accused of knowingly accepting illegal campaign financing from an organized criminal group on a prolonged basis, acting as accomplices. The criminal investigation was initiated in January 2022. Guțul maintains her innocence.
Although, according to the law, the Governor of Gagauzia is a full member of the Moldovan Government, Guțul has never been officially accepted into the Cabinet of Ministers. Moldovan President Maia Sandu stated that Guțul would not be included in the government, arguing that she works for a criminal organization and makes statements against her own country.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
