Ilan Șor targeted by arrest warrant in ALDE case: 8 million lei for party control
Ilan Șor, a convicted criminal, is currently under a 30-day arrest warrant in connection with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) case. He has been informed of the charges through a request for international legal assistance sent to the Russian Federation, where he is currently located.
The Chisinau Court in Ciocana, ordered the preventive measure on April 24. In this criminal case, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (PA) is investigating Ilan Șor, who is accused of illicitly financing a right-wing political party with prohibited sources. This action was reportedly instigated by former MP Arina Spătaru, who reported the activities to the criminal investigation authorities.
According to the PA press release, “Ilan Șor, acting with direct intent and aware of the illegal nature of his actions and the potential consequences, undertook a series of actions to illegally finance a right-wing political party with pro-European views. This was done to strengthen the party and maintain control over the political, electoral, and social processes in the Republic of Moldova.”
Ilan Șor, through former MP Alexandr Nesterovschi, allegedly suggested that Arina Spătaru take over a pro-European political party to be financed by the criminal group led by Șor. He organized a meeting with the fugitive oligarch in Israel.
Subsequently, Nesterovschi sent Arina Spătaru, while under the surveillance of the criminal investigation authorities, $50,000, 100,000 lei, and a mobile phone intended for secure communication with Ilan Șor. For these actions, Nesterovschi was later sentenced to 12 years in prison.
The goal of this endeavor was to enable the party's participation in local elections, allowing the group to maintain and consolidate its control over the political and social processes in the Republic of Moldova. Allegedly, Ilan Șor financed this political party with a total of $452,700, which is more than 8,000,000 lei.
Ilan Șor was definitively sentenced to 15 years in prison in the Republic of Moldova for his involvement in the "Bank Fraud" case, according to a Court of Appeal decision in April 2023. His assets, valued at over 5 billion lei, have been seized.
The former politician, whose party was declared unconstitutional in 2023, fled the Republic of Moldova in the summer of 2019. He lived in Israel for several years and is currently in the Russian Federation, where he obtained citizenship in May 2024.
