CNA provides details of the case on illegal financing of the “ȘOR” political party: the money arrived in Moldova in the form of transfers, including in cryptocurrency. More than 3.5 million lei have been allegedly used to transport participants in the PMAN protests

In the first half of this year, the “ȘOR” political party reportedly made payments amounting to 600,000 euros, while reported expenses were just over 228,000 lei, say representatives of the National Anti-Corruption Center (CNA), who have provided details of the criminal prosecution actions taking place in a file launched on the illegal financing of the party by an “organized criminal group.”

According to evidence on file, the party was found to have knowingly accepted money of dubious origin from a “criminal group” to be used for party purposes, such as artists’ fees, members’ salaries and the organisation of protests. According to the CNA, the money of the “criminal group” arrived in Moldova in the form of transfers and conversions, including in cryptocurrency, and various financing channels such as Dubai, Vienna and Monaco were used to disguise the origin of the funds.

“Thus, several episodes have been documented in which, in the first half of this year, the party is said to have made payments in the amount of 600,000 euros, while the reported expenses were just over 228,000 lei. From the same sources of criminal origin, monthly salaries of €100,000 were allegedly paid to party members and over 3.5 million lei were used to transport participants to the protests in the Great National Assembly Square.

Further steps are currently being taken to ensure a full, objective and thorough investigation of the facts under investigation in order to strengthen the evidence. These are carried out within the legal limits, ensuring respect for the principle of presumption of innocence of the persons concerned and respect for all procedural rights and guarantees,” the NAC said.

In the first half of the year, the party indicated that it was funded with 1.7 million lei.

On Thursday, 21 July, CNA and Intelligence and Security Service (SIS) officers, together with anti-corruption prosecutors, raided several locations across the country as part of a file launched on the illegal financing of the “ȘOR” political party.

Acting Prosecutor General Dumitru Robu has submitted two requests to Parliament to waive the immunity of MP Marina Tauber, who is the subject of two criminal cases brought against her for “knowingly accepting the financing of the “ȘOR” political party from an organised criminal group”.

According to Prosecutor Mariana Cherpec, spokeswoman for the Prosecutor General’s Office (PG), Tauber falsified the report on the financial management of the “ȘOR” Political Party for the first half of 2022.