The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA) announced that on Friday, January 26, the preliminary hearing in the case of Marina Tauber, accused of falsifying the report on the financial management of the former Șor Political Party, led by former fugitive MP Ilan Șor, and accepting financing of the political party from an organized criminal group, was completed.

According to the PA, the next hearing has been set for January 30, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., for the next stage of the trial – the investigation of evidence.

On June 19, 2023, the criminal case against Marina Tauber and the legal entity, the political party ,,Șor”, declared non-constitutional, indicted on four counts of falsifying reports on campaign and political party financing and accepting illegal financing from an organized criminal group, was sent to trial.

The first court hearing took place on 29 June 2023, during which the prosecutor’s request to extend the preventive measure, house arrest, was examined. As a result of the examination of the request, the judge of the Buiucani Court of Chisinau admitted the request in part and ordered the extension of the defendant’s house arrest for 20 days.

On 17 July 2023, another court hearing was held to examine the prosecutor’s request to extend the house arrest of Marina Tauber for a period of 30 days, but the judge of the Buiucani District Court of Chisinau rejected the prosecutor’s request and ordered that the measure be replaced by provisional release under judicial supervision for a period of 60 days.

At the hearing on 17 July 2023, at the request of the defence, the court granted them time to acquaint themselves with the case materials and to prepare for the preliminary hearing. Subsequently, several hearings on the case were adjourned.

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

“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, taking into account the provisions of Articles 20 and 345 para. (1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which stipulate that in cases of corruption or corruption-related cases, the case shall be examined 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,” a PA statement said.