The Constitutional Court (CC) announces that the application submitted by the Government on the verification of the constitutionality of the political party “Shor” is under examination. The CC notes that the opinions of the “Shor” Party and other public authorities on the complaint were requested in this case.

“The Court is currently examining complaint no. 184h/2022 concerning the verification of the constitutionality of the Political Party “Șor”. Opinions have been requested from the party concerned and the authorities in connection with this case. Developments in the case will be reflected on the Constitutional Court’s website,” the Court announced in a statement.

On 10 November, the President of the Constitutional Court, Domnica Manole, issued an order returning to the Government the complaint filed by the Government concerning the verification of the constitutionality of the political party “Shor”, in order to remedy the shortcomings. The President of the Constitutional Court found that the complaint had been submitted before it was published in the Official Gazette of Moldova.

The executive approved, at its meeting of 9 November 2022, the draft Government decision by which the Ministry of Justice proposes to verify the constitutionality of the “ȘOR” party. According to the Minister of Justice, Sergiu Litvinenco, the complaint presents sufficient arguments showing that, through all its activities so far, the “ȘOR” party has acted contrary to the principles of the rule of law and endangers the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Moldova.

“We have seen that the society has received this news positively (preparation of the complaint n. ed.). Some said that this referral is good, just very late. From my point of view, this referral came on time, when all the constitutional circumstances for filing this referral exist.

We have clear breaches of the principle of the rule of law, and now we have findings of undermining independence and sovereignty, with the involvement of a foreign state. Analysing these circumstances in the light of international standards, which say that the liquidation of a party is a last resort, I believe that this is exactly the right time,” said Justice Minister Sergiu Litvinenco.

At the start of the government meeting on 9 November, Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița announced that several Telegram accounts of state officials had been hacked.

“It is very interesting that in the fake messages that have appeared from the Telegram accounts of some officials, Mr Litvinenco is targeted, who comes today with a complaint to outlaw the “Shor” party,” Prime Minister Gavrilița said.

For his part, Justice Minister Sergiu Litvinecno said that these messages were predictable in the context that “the end of criminal groups is near”.

On 8 November, after the announcement about the preparation of this referral, fugitive deputy Ilan Shor, leader of the Shor Party, said in a video address that with this decision the government wants “to apply the last blow to democracy in the Republic of Moldova and to make the last PAS towards the usurpation of power in the state”.

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 20 October. Veronica Dragalin, chief prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA) said at the time that a total of 55 searches were carried out.

The PA chief also said that during the searches 20 black bags with the same emblems” bearing district names were seized. In total, according to Veronica Dragalin, “about 3.5 million lei were collected from these bags”. The amounts collected include lei and dollars.

Later, the AP announced that, as a result of the examination, the final amount was found to be 4 219 550 lei and 4 000 dollars.

“The National Anti-Corruption Centre under the leadership of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office has completed the process of examining the money detected and collected during the searches carried out on 20 October 2022 in the criminal case on illegal financing of the “Șor” political party,” the PA announced.

Since 18 September, members and supporters of the “Shor” 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 the 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 “patratists”. 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.