Moldova arrested pro-Russian leaders for election fraud
Moldova arrested pro-Russian leaders for election fraud
A court in Moldova has sentenced a Kremlin -friendly regional politician to seven years in prison because he led money from Russia to finance a political party.
Important information about Evgenia Gutul
Evgenia Gutul, the chairwoman of Gagaauzia, a historically pro-Russian region in South Moldova, was arrested in March for suspected election fraud and sentenced on Tuesday.
financing of a political party
The public prosecutor reported that Gutul had not granted the fund from 2019 to 2022 to finance a political party founded by ILAN SHOR. SHOR is a pro-Russian businessman who was convicted of fraud in Moldova and now lives in exile.
important elections are imminent
The conviction of Gutul will only be carried out a few weeks before the important parliamentary elections in Moldova, in which Maia Sandu, the pro-Western President of the former as well as state, hopes to keep her majority of government.
election fraud and influence
Last year, Sandu was re -elected in an election that took place on the same day as a referendum about the accession to the European Union, which the Moldawies with a Knappen majority . Both votes were used by the public prosecutor with a Massive voices scandal organized by SHOR. Since his condemnation for his role in theft of $ 1 billion from Moldova banks, he has spent a lot of time in Russia.allegation of interference by Russia
Before the referendum, the national police chief Moldova said that around 130,000 citizens had received a total of $ 15 million from SHOR to vote "no" or to convince others. He emphasized that it was "obvious" that Russia finances the system; Moscow has denied an interference in Moldova politics.
allegations and political reactions
Gutul, the former Shor's secretary, now banned, was elected governor of Gagauzia in 2023. This election was also accompanied by allegations about buying votes. Last year Gutul was sanctioned by the EU for actions that “destabilize” Moldova and promote separatism in their region.
politically motivated persecution?
Gutul rejects any misconduct and claims that their persecution is politically motivated. In March, she addressed a letter to Donald Trump, in which she explained that, like the US President, she was the goal of "propaganda measures and pressure of the corrupt globalist elites".
appeal against the judgment
In response to her judgment on Tuesday, Gutul announced that it would make an appeal against the judgment, since she claims that this was an attempt to intimidate the Gagaucian who “dare to do a party as a Sandus party for action and solidarity (PAS).”
Kreml's statement
The Kremlin also senses political motives behind the judgment and claims that Moldova systematically suppresses the opposition. The spokesman for the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, commented on these allegations on Tuesday: "Basically, people are deprived of the possibility of voting for those who prefer. What we see is a clear violation of the democratic rules and norms in this country."
outlook for the parliamentary elections
The parliamentary election in Moldova takes place on September 28th. Although Sandus Pas won with an overwhelming result in the last election in 2021, Moldova has seen great economic and security challenges exposed , which resulted from the invasion of Russia in Ukraine and led to anti-governmental moods.
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