IGP Chief Cernăuțeanu: 'Police will act firmly to safeguard the vote'
The General Inspectorate of Police announced enhanced security measures for the parliamentary election day scheduled for September 28. The head of the institution, Viorel Cernăuțeanu, emphasized that the primary objective of the police is to safeguard democracy and ensure the safety of citizens. This decision comes in response to heightened risks including voter corruption, widespread disinformation campaigns, and attempts to disrupt public order.
"It's not just about the police's capacity, but about the intensity with which we will act. We must ensure the guarantee of the democracy of the vote and the safety of every citizen," Cernăuțeanu said on Jurnal TV.
More serious threats than in previous years
The IGP chief explained that, compared to previous elections, the current situation is much more complex. Last year, the main problems were illegal financing and disinformation.
In 2025, however, the risks have increased significantly. According to him, disinformation has reached an unprecedented scale, and illegal financing has almost doubled. The National Police Chief states that, in the past, voters were bribed with amounts ranging from 500 to 800 lei; now, the amounts vary between 800 and 1,600 lei.
At the same time, destabilization remains the most serious risk, endangering both the democratic order and the lives and health of people.
Viorel Cernăuțeanu stressed that the Russian Federation coordinates some of these actions through criminal networks and local exponents.
Networks prepared in Serbia
The police of the Republic of Moldova collaborated with the authorities in Serbia, who detained individuals involved in destabilization plans.
"If last year we documented 111 individuals, in Serbia over 150 individuals trained for actions against the Republic of Moldova were identified. The situation remains dire and we cannot say that the risks have disappeared", Cernăuțeanu warned.
Security measures on voting day
For Sunday, the General Inspectorate of Police will mobilize all available personnel, announced the head of the institution, Viorel Cernăuțeanu.
"All employees will have the pre-established competencies, including at polling stations, where the Electoral Code obliges us to stay at a distance of 100 meters. We will also have multiple mobile teams in localities, in sensitive and risky areas, where, reasonably, people or suspects with intentions ranging from corruption to financing and other actions that may compromise a democratic electoral process may concentrate," the head of the IGP said.
The police will also carry out actions to prevent voter corruption, as well as attempts to destabilize public order, in order to guarantee the security of citizens and protect the democratic process.
The money trail: from Russian banks to cryptocurrencies
The head of the IGP also explained the mechanisms through which money reaches the Republic of Moldova for illegal campaign financing. The flows originate from Promsvyazbank (PSB) in the Russian Federation, pass through cryptocurrencies, are converted into dollars, and then converted into lei.
"It is a complex scheme, difficult to block directly, because PSB is not part of the international circuit. That is why we are working together with specialized structures for the prevention of money laundering and with external partners to stop the entry of these funds into the country," Cernăuțeanu said.
He emphasized that the detentions and searches presented publicly represent only the visible peak of a large, long-term work, in which several national institutions and international partners participate.
We recall that 74 people were detained on September 22, for preparing actions to destabilize the September 28 elections, coordinated from abroad. Some suspects were trained in Serbia by agents affiliated with Russian secret services. Among the people targeted by the searches were members of political parties.
