Moldovan banned party supporter faces trial for voter bribery
A supporter of a banned Moldovan party will face trial for voter bribery ahead of the country's parliamentary election.
The Bălți City Prosecutor’s Office has concluded its investigation and referred the case to the lower court.
According to the case files, the man "acted in concert with other individuals yet to be identified, as part of a well-organised criminal scheme" between May and 23 September, when he was detained.
While in Bălți, the defendant is accused of offering and giving money to voters to influence their vote in the 28 September election.
The man allegedly promised 15,000 Moldovan lei to one person to vote "correctly" and attend the political group's meetings. He subsequently transferred 6,500 Russian rubles to this individual to support the group's candidate. The man transferred 5,000 Russian rubles to another person for the same purposes.
During the hearings, the defendant admitted to recruiting people for electoral corruption and promising them money, which was to be received via the mobile app of the sanctioned Russian lender, PSB Bank.
Selling one's vote in the Republic of Moldova is punishable by a fine ranging from 25,000 to 37,500 lei. If the offence is committed in the interest of a criminal organisation, the penalty is imprisonment from 8 to 15 years. Organizing the purchase of votes—electoral corruption—is punishable by imprisonment for 2 to 6 years, along with a fine ranging from 37,500 to 57,500 lei.
Viorel Cernăuțeanu, the head of the General Police Inspectorate, announced before the election that more than 30,000 people had been fined for electoral corruption, with more than 18 million lei collected into the state budget.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
