The District Prosecutor’s Office of Hîncești municipality in Moldova has announced that three individuals accused of electoral corruption will face trial.
“The Hîncești District Prosecutor’s Office [announces] the completion of the criminal investigation and the submission to the court of a criminal case accusing three people of committing the crime of electoral corruption,” the office stated on December 16.
According to prosecutors, the three were allegedly involved in a large-scale scheme to manipulate Moldova’s October 20 presidential election.
Operating under the guise of supporting opposition political parties such as the Șansă (Chance party), Renaștere (Revival Party) and the Pobeda (Victory) electoral bloc and independent candidates, the individuals allegedly engaged in voter corruption.
The defendants were accused of bribing voters in multiple localities within the Hîncești district, including Drăgușenii Noi, Stolniceni, and Ciuciuleni.
Allegedly, they offered payments ranging from 200 to 400 lei (€40 to €80) to sway voters to cast their ballots in a specific way.
Beyond bribery, the individuals have been accused of collecting personal data from citizens in Hîncești, used to open bank accounts abroad without the consent of the individuals whose data was taken.
The operation also allegedly involved the installation of a mobile banking app linked to the Russian lender “Promsvyazbank”.
The prosecutors claimed that through this platform, funds were distributed, potentially for illicit purposes such as unauthorised transactions or alleged money laundering.
The presidential election, alongside a referendum on Moldova’s potential European Union membership, was marred by allegations of fraud.
Before the vote on October 4, pro-EU Moldova President Maia Sandu had warned of Russian interference.
After the result of the vote on October 24, she emphasised her concerns, warning of alleged “mass voter bribery” affecting both the election and the referendum.
Moldovan opposition parties have accused Sandu of “serious abuses and violations”.
Among these opposition voices was the Victory Party, one of the entities accused of benefiting from the alleged voter-buying activities carried out by the three individuals facing trial.
Just hours before Moldova’s crucial Oct 20 election, the opposition issued a "desperate plea" to the UN, EU, and OSCE, accusing President Sandu of "serious abuses" of fundamental rights, per a letter seen by Brussels Signal. https://t.co/b0C7qyt95M
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) October 22, 2024
