Five people, detained in the past few days following raids on members and activists of the “Shor” Party, have been placed under preventive arrest, and 17 people under house arrest. On Saturday, October 22, the Chisinau Court of Appeals, Ciocana Branch, examined 22 requests submitted by prosecutors for the application of the preventive measure “preventive arrest” against persons involved in the “scheme of accepting the financing of the “Shor” Political Party from an organized criminal group”.

According to the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA), the state prosecutors will decide on the exercise of appeals within the time limit provided by law.

“At the same time we inform that on October 21, 2022, the prosecutor of the case has appealed the court’s decision by which in respect of the defendant Tauber Marina the preventive measure “house arrest” was replaced by “provisional release under judicial control. The hearing of the appeal by the Chisinau Court of Appeal has been set for 25 October 2022. The arrested persons are charged with the offence of complicity in accepting party financing from an organised criminal group, an offence provided for in Article 1812 para. (5) of the Criminal Code.

If found guilty, they risk a fine of 57 500 to 92 500 lei or imprisonment for 2 to 7 years, in both cases with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or to exercise certain activities for 2 to 5 years. We will come back with further details on the criminal proceedings, including information on the amount of money found during the searches”, says a press release of the PA.

The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA), the National Anti-Corruption Centre (CNA) and the Intelligence and Security Service (SIS) raided members and activists of the “ȘOR” party in several localities across the country on Thursday, 20 October. Veronica Dragalin, chief prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA), announced that during the raids 20 black bags with approximately 3.5 million lei were seized and 24 people were detained.

20 black bags with about 3.5 million lei were seized during searches of members of the “ȘOR” party, announces the head of the PA

Since 18 September, members and sympathisers of the “Șor” party have been gathering every Sunday for “anti-government” protests in the centre of the capital. People, mostly elderly, have been brought to the protests from several districts of the country. After the first protest, several tents were set up in the alley in front of parliament.

Four ZdG reporters infiltrated the ranks of “Shor” party protesters on the eve of the September 18 rally in Chisinau. Three of the reporters, a few days after taking part in the protest, were paid 400 lei each by the people responsible for recruiting the protesters, the so-called “patratiste”. The money was received in various locations in Orhei, and the whole process was filmed and documented by ZdG.

Protesters to rent
ZdG wrote how four reporters infiltrated the ranks of the Shor Party protesters on the eve of the September 18 rally in Chisinau. They set off with the protesters from several locations in Orhei, which they found in advance, and then for several days we documented, from the inside, how they were mobilised, transported organised and paid to demonstrate their “civic attitude”.

Three of the reporters, a few days after taking part in the protest, were paid 400 lei each by the people responsible for recruiting the protesters, the so-called “patratiste”. The money was received in various locations in Orhei, and the whole process was filmed and documented by ZdG.

ZdG also identified some of the people in charge of recruiting and rewarding the people brought in, the so-called “patratiste” from Orhei. They include party activists, municipal councillors of the Shor Party, as well as employees of Orhei City Hall.