Votes bought with Russian rubles: nine people from Edineț will stand trial
The Prosecutor General's Office announced the referral of another criminal case for electoral corruption, this time concerning actions in the Edineț district during the presidential elections and the constitutional referendum set for October 2024.
According to prosecutors, nine individuals from Edineț are accused of illegally influencing voters to vote “NO” on Moldova’s integration into the European Union and to support certain candidates affiliated with a party that has been declared unconstitutional and political formations associated with it during the presidential elections. Some supporters also belonged to an electoral bloc.
As part of this scheme, the defendants allegedly organised the travel of over 25 individuals from Edineț to Moscow, providing them with transportation, accommodation, food, and covering passport fees. Once there, participants were allegedly encouraged, including by the convicted Ilan Shor, to vote against a pro-European candidate and against European integration. Some of them reportedly received money—specifically, 10,000 Russian rubles and 150 US dollars.
To achieve their objectives, the group purportedly promised voters between 1,000 and 3,000 lei, and in some cases, these payments were made. Communication was allegedly carried out through the Telegram application, where a chatbot was installed to collect data from voters' identity cards. In one instance, the chatbot was reportedly set up by a former mayor of Edineț.
The nine accused range in age from 30 to 56 and come from several localities within the district. Among them are women with secondary education, a postman, and a former mayor with a higher education. The organizers include a man and a woman who hold leadership positions in the unconstitutional party and also worked as directors and accountants in a company.
More than 10 individuals targeted for voter corruption by the defendants have contacted the authorities to report their actions. All defendants are facing a prison sentence of up to five years or a fine of up to 57,500 lei. At the request of the Edineț Prosecutor's Office, the defendants are prohibited from leaving the country, and the case will be examined by the Edineț Court.
The Prosecutor's Office stated that over 150 people are being investigated for voter corruption and illegal party financing, with most of them located in the northern and central districts of the country. Over 70 defendants have already been sent to trial, and some cases have resulted in final convictions, including a deputy who was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined 500,000 lei.
