Officers of the National Anti-Corruption Centre (NAC) and the National Investigation Inspectorate (INI), under the direction of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA), are carrying out on Tuesday, May 16, the collection of voters’ lists from the Comrat Court. According to the NAC, “the basis for the action of collecting the documents is the reasonable suspicion of the inclusion in the voter lists of deceased persons living abroad and voting on their behalf”.

“Thus, following the criminal prosecution actions, in the criminal case on illegal financing of the electoral campaign and bribery of voters, a reasonable suspicion arose that some of the voters were brought organized from other districts for the purpose of voting for the candidate of the political party “Shor”. Also, according to the information that has emerged, among the voters who cast their votes in favour of the candidate Gut Yevgeny are people who are abroad and deceased persons. Actions are ongoing,” the NAC statement said.

Meanwhile, several people from ATU Gagauzia gathered in front of the Comrat Court to protest against the prosecution actions carried out by law enforcement officers.

The demonstration was also attended by “Shor” Party deputy Vadim Fotescu, reports nokta.md.

On Tuesday, 16 May, officers of the National Anti-Corruption Centre (NAC) raided the headquarters of the Central Electoral Commission in Gagauzia. Asked by Ziarul de Gardă, Angela Starinschi, spokeswoman for the NAC, said that “criminal prosecutions are currently taking place in the case of voter corruption”.

Shortly after the raids began, Mihail Vlah, chairman of the supervisory board of the public company Teleradio Gagauzia (GRT), said that the Gagauz People’s Assembly would convene an emergency meeting at 8pm.

Also on Tuesday, the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) in Chisinau reported that on May 13, 2023, it initiated eight contravention proceedings on the facts of illegal financing of electoral contestants, who received donations from individuals exceeding the maximum ceiling set by law for cash donations, during the elections held in the Gagauzia Administrative Territorial Unit.

Thus, verifying the total reports on the financing of the electoral campaign, published on the website of the Central Electoral Council of Gagauzia, the CEC found several donations from individuals exceeding the maximum ceiling established by law, in the amount of 11 700 lei, established for cash donations.

In this regard, on 5 May 2023, the CEC officially referred the matter to the Central Electoral Council of Gagauzia to examine the facts described, but the Council did not take any action in this regard.

“Therefore, the inaction of the Gagauz CEC management, who are the verifying agents that ensure the collection of reports on financial management and have first-hand information about possible violations of the law, led to the commission of similar violations in the second round of the elections for Governor (Bashkan) of Gagauzia. Thus, the CEC additionally found donations made by individuals exceeding the limits for cash donations to candidates Evghenia Gut and Grigorii Uzun,” the CEC statement said.

According to the Contravention Code, once the CEC of Gagauzia did not take any action, the investigators of the Central Electoral Commission intervened by finding and registering the 8 contraventions on the facts provided for in art.483 para. (1) of the Contravention Code.

“Each of the 106 donors, who are suspected of illegal financing by exceeding the ceiling of cash donations, are liable for the admitted violations,” the CEC adds.

According to the legislation, illegal financing of political parties, initiative groups, electoral contestants or referendum participants by individuals, manifested by exceeding the ceilings set by law or on behalf of third (anonymous) persons or by violating the rules set by the existing regulatory framework, is prohibited. Violation of this rule is punishable by a fine of between 30 and 90 conventional units imposed on the natural person or a fine of between 180 and 300 conventional units imposed on the person in a position of responsibility.