Moldovan police have accused convicted fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor of transferring $39 million into the bank accounts of thousands of Moldovans over the past two months allegedly to buy votes for the pro-Russian camp in a referendum and the first round of presidential elections last week.
Investigators said on October 25 that they uncovered about 1 million bank transfers, which reached the personal accounts of Moldovan citizens in September and October through the Russian bank Promsvyazbank (PSB), Moldovan police chief Viorel Cernauteanu told a news conference in Chisinau.
He added that some 500 people had already been fined for "passive electoral corruption," without clarifying what that means. No direct evidence of vote buying has been released, but under Moldovan law, it is illegal to accept large sums of money from abroad for political purposes.
Shor, who also holds Russian and Israeli citizenship, was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison by a Moldovan court in April 2023 over a $1 billion bank fraud. He is believed to be in Russia.
SEE ALSO: Moldova's Razor-Thin EU 'Yes' Vote Puts President Sandu In A Tight SpotDespite expectations of a landslide "yes," the October 20 referendum on Moldova's integration into the European Union only passed by a razor-thin margin of less than 1 percentage point, prompting accusations from pro-EU President Maia Sandu of massive vote buying and disinformation orchestrated by criminal groups backed by "foreign forces."
The referendum was held simultaneously with a presidential vote, won by incumbent Sandu with some 42.5 percent of the vote -- less than the 50 percent plus one vote needed to avoid a runoff.
She will face pro-Moscow ex-Prosecutor-General Alexandr Stoianoglo in a crucial runoff on November 3.
On October 21, Sandu indicated that the stronger-than-expected showing of the pro-Moscow camp in both elections was due to what she said was an "unprecedented" assault from "criminal groups," which she said tried to buy off as many as 300,000 votes with tens of millions of euros in an attempt to "undermine the democratic process."
Russia has denied any interference, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling on Sandu to "produce proof" to back up her accusations.
Cernauteanu said police investigators and prosecutors had established that the disbursement of the funds started in April at the latest.
He said that money from Russia came either through PSB bank transfers or via couriers who pay people directly.
However, Shor is believed to have established a network of trusted people in Moldova to whom he has been sending funds ostensibly for various social activities.
The police investigation found that, in September, PSB bank, which has been under international sanctions for its support of Russia's war in Ukraine, sent $15 million followed by a further $24 million this month.
Cernauteanu said investigators had established the identities of some 138,000 Moldovan citizens in whose bank accounts the money ended up.
The real number of those allegedly bribed by Shor, however, "is even higher" than the 300,000 mentioned by Sandu, because transfers made to one account were then shared between more people, he said.
Cernauteanu warned that those accepting money from Shor would be considered part of his "criminal organization" and urged Moldovans to cooperate with the authorities.
The investigation is still under way, Cernauteanu said, adding that on October 23 police searched 19 Moldovan districts and found envelopes with cash inside.
Cernauteanu said investigators were looking into instances of potential vote buying for the crucial presidential runoff on November 3.