The anti-corruption prosecutor’s office of the Republic of Moldova announced on Saturday that it had seized more than 4.5 million Moldovan lei (€225,000) after raids on representatives of the ŞOR (populist, pro-Russian) party.

The searches were conducted in the case of illegal financing of this formation, founded by the scandalous oligarch Ilan Shor, sentenced in 2017 to seven years and six months in prison for fraud and money laundering, who fled the country and is wanted internationally, reports TV8.md and NewsMaker.

A wave of searches and arrests of those who are trying to destabilize the situation in the country

At the same time, as reported by Deschide.md portal, officers of the General Inspectorate of Investigations together with PCCOCS prosecutors (prosecutors for combating organized crime and special cases) are conducting searches on Saturday morning of several persons in a criminal case. the case of the preparation of mass riots in the Republic of Moldova. Searches are being conducted in several localities.

On Friday, law enforcement agencies conducted several searches and arrests in the north of the Republic of Moldova in connection with the preparation of mass riots during the planned protests in Chisinau.

Thus, during the searches, significant sums of money were seized, including 11,000 US dollars and 400 euros. The money was supposed to be used for the organization of mass riots, Chisinau’s Ziarul Naţional reports.

Handcuffs, substances with a specific smell of marijuana, means of communication and information storage were also found during the searches.

The prosecutor’s office went after the money

According to the police, the suspects are men between the ages of 23 and 50, who were previously convicted of fraud, drug trafficking and theft.

Among the suspects, whose homes were searched, there are also people who recently returned from Turkey, where they participated in training “for causing mass disturbances and resisting law enforcement authorities with the use of pyrotechnics and weapons during the protest actions that are planned to be organized.”

On March 9, the anti-corruption prosecutor’s office together with the National Anti-Corruption Center and the SBU conducted several searches of the cars of the party’s so-called “couriers” responsible for receiving and transporting illegal money to presidents and vice-presidents. – the heads of territorial bodies, who, in turn, intended to pay for the transport and remuneration of the participants of the protest actions organized by the party, Radio Moldova reports.

On February 20, eight people were also detained in the case of illegal financing of the SHO party. In October of last year, prosecutors and security service employees collected more than 4.2 million lei and 4 thousand dollars from representatives of this party, and in November, more than 320 thousand lei were discovered and collected.

Prosecutors say that in recent months, with the help of special technical means, they managed to document several episodes in which members of an organized criminal group sent more than 3.3 million lei, 61 thousand euros and 55 thousand dollars to representatives and activists of the SOR party. . Officials of the ŞOR formation claim that this case is political, the quoted radio station reported.

Russia is trying to destabilize the Republic of Moldova

These searches are taking place in the context in which a day ago Washington accused Moscow of trying to destabilize the Republic of Moldova, reports Deschide.md.

The administration of President Joe Biden believes that Moscow is working to spread disinformation to destabilize the situation in the Republic of Moldova, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, citing as an example recent statements by the Russian Defense Ministry, according to which “Ukraine is planning an invasion of Transnistria.” I”.

The American official qualified these accusations as “baseless, false and unfounded”, reported the quoted media.

Russia is considering weakening the government in Chisinau to possibly install a more Russian-friendly administration, Kirby said, adding that Washington does not currently see any immediate military threat to the Republic of Moldova. .

“Like President Maia Sandu, we do not see any immediate military threat to Moldova. However, in recent weeks Ms. Sandu has publicly warned that Russia is trying to destabilize Moldova. We have the same concern,” Deschide.md quoted Kirby as saying.

According to him, the United States is closely monitoring Russia’s activities in the Republic of Moldova, expressing concern about ties with Russia’s ongoing efforts to destabilize Europe.