Former Shor party MP Marina Tauber, indicted on four counts of falsifying campaign and political party financing reports and accepting illegal funding from an organized criminal group, will leave for Israel the day after the second round of the local general election. The Buiucani court in Chisinau handed down the ruling on Wednesday, 8 November, extending the judicial control imposed on the parliamentarian until 13 January.

Tauber will leave for 14 days on Monday, November 20, and should be back by December 6.

The Justice Ministry in Chisinau previously announced that fugitive former MP Ilan Shor is in Israel, from where Moldova is seeking his extradition after he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Tauber last flew to Tel Aviv in early May and was detained at Chisinau International Airport. At the time, she was escorted by anti-corruption officers to the National Anti-Corruption Center’s lockup.

“The Chisinau Court, Buiucani Branch, admitted the request of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (AP) to extend the preventive measure in the form of provisional release under judicial control for a period of 60 days for the defendant Marina Tauber, maintaining the restrictions imposed on the defendant Marina Tauber not to leave the country, except for the period 20.11-5.12.2023 inclusive, for medical investigations abroad. Moldova, to inform the prosecuting authority or, where appropriate, the court of any change of residence, not to enter into contact with certain persons, to report in person to the prosecuting authority or the court whenever summoned, not to commit actions that could prevent the truth in the criminal proceedings, upon her return to the country, she is obliged to surrender her passport to the court,” the court’s decision states.

The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office informed that 23 court hearings have been scheduled until February 2024 in the criminal case “Illegal financing of the Sor political party” on November 8.

“The state prosecutors submitted a motion requesting the setting of at least 30 hearings at a short interval of time, in order to comply with the principle of examining the case within a reasonable time, in view of the provisions of Articles 20 and 345 para. (1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which stipulates that in cases of corruption or corruption-related cases, the examination of the case shall be carried out expeditiously. At the same time, the defence requested a postponement of the hearing, and the court rejected the defence’s request and set 23 hearings.

At the same time, the court granted the defense’s request for permission for the defendant to travel abroad for medical investigations in the State of Israel for a period of 14 days, with an order to surrender her passport upon her return,” reads a statement published by the PA.

The next hearing will take place on 13 November 2023 at 15:30.

The Chisinau Court of Appeals in early August modified the restrictions imposed on former Shor party MP Marina Tauber, declared unconstitutional, who was released from house arrest under judicial control for 60 days. Requested by ZdG, the press service of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA) said that the restriction of not leaving the locality had been replaced by an obligation not to leave the country.

Marina Tauber released from house arrest for the third time

Marina Tauber has been released from house arrest under judicial supervision for the third time. The decision was taken by the magistrate of the Chisinau Court of Appeals, Buiucani seat, Olga Bejenari, in the criminal case of indictment of Marina Tauber and the political party “Shor” on four counts of falsifying reports on the financing of the electoral campaign and the political party and accepting illegal financing from an organized criminal group.

The independent MP was placed under house arrest on 2 May after being detained at Chisinau International Airport from where she was due to fly to Tel Aviv, Israel.

The first preliminary hearing in the criminal case against Marina Tauber and the “Shor” political party on four counts of falsifying reports on campaign and political party financing and accepting illegal financing from an organised criminal group took place on Thursday 29 June.

At that time, the hearing examined the prosecutor’s request to extend the preventive measure of house arrest against Marina Tauber. Following the examination of the request, the judge of the Buiucani Court of Chisinau admitted the request in part, ordering the extension of the house arrest for 20 days.

Marina Tauber has previously been released under judicial supervision in January-February and in autumn 2022. A decision in this regard was taken in October by the magistrates of the Ciocana court in Chisinau, who partially accepted the prosecutors’ request. A week later, the magistrates of the Chisinau Court of Appeal upheld the appeal lodged by the prosecutors against the decision of the Ciocana Court and the MP was returned to house arrest.

More than a year ago, on 23 July 2022, Marina Tauber was remanded in custody for 30 days in Penitentiary No. 13 in the capital. On 16 August, magistrates extended the arrest warrant for Marina Tauber for another 20 days in penitentiary no. 13. She was subsequently placed under house arrest and the measure was extended several times.