The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA) announces that on Thursday, September 21, together with the National Anti-Corruption Centre (CNA) and the Intelligence and Security Service (SIS) raided more than 20 locations in Chisinau, Balti, Sîngerei and Edineț, as well as 9 cars, in criminal files on the illegal financing of political parties, in which MPs Alexandr Nesterovschi and Irina Lozovan are targeted.

During the criminal prosecution, according to a press release of the PA, documents and goods of interest for the criminal cases were found and seized: mobile phones, computers, draft documents and other documents. During the raids, cash in the amount of 189,200 lei, 25,415 euros, 2,430 dollars and 4,500 Swiss francs were seized.

So far, one person has been detained and charged with the offences of financing political parties, initiative groups, or electoral contestants from sources prohibited by law and money laundering, offences under Articles 1813 and 243 of the Criminal Code. The candidate of the League of Towns and Municipalities (LOC) in the Chisinau elections, Mihail Bagas, is the subject of the case.

“The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office will inform about the results of the searches and prosecution actions later, provided that the presentation of some data from the file will not jeopardize the proper conduct of criminal investigations.

In this context, criminal investigations on these cases are carried out within the limits of the criminal procedural legislation, respecting all rights and freedoms of the prosecuted persons, ensuring the principle of presumption of innocence, confidentiality of criminal proceedings, respect for privacy and personal data,” the PA assures.

Today, 21 September, five requests were submitted to the Moldovan Parliament, in which the Acting Prosecutor General requested the lifting of parliamentary immunity, with a view to the arrest, detention, search and criminal prosecution of the MP Alexandr Nesterovschi for committing the offences of passive bribery, preparing the financing of a political party from sources prohibited by law and accepting the financing of a political party from an organised criminal group (offences under Article 324 para. (3) (a), 1813, 1812 para. (5) of the Criminal Code) and of Irina Lozovan, MP, for the commission of the offences of acceptance of financing of a political party by an organised criminal group and money laundering by an organised criminal group on a particularly large scale (offences under Art. 1812 para. (5), 243 (3) (a) and (b) of the Criminal Code).

Without Parliament’s consent to waive the immunity of Members, the prosecution body may not take any criminal prosecution action, such as searches or detention, against Members. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office will come back with further details on these two MPs after the parliamentary session.