Weekly Roundup
April 8, 2024
Anti-Corruption Officers Raid the Airport
On April 1st Anti-Corruption Police (CNA) and prosecutors raided the Chisinau International Airport and detained 3 customs and border patrol officers. Additional officers were not detained but are being targeted in the investigation. The investigation is focusing on what they are calling a “systematic bribery ring” whereby customs officers took bribes ranging from 50 lei to 1000 lei from passengers in order to allow people to pass through customs control without declaring items.
Author’s Note: At this time it is unclear what kinds of materials were being smuggled through the airport. Past cases, and many Moldovan’s personal experience, has showed that customs officers at the airport often look for targets of opportunity amongst passengers. In particular they focus on whether people are traveling with more than one phone or computer which is the limit for a single person without declaring the devices and paying import taxes. Beyond opportunistic corruption such as this, it is possible that the “systematic” nature of the alleged crimes involved coordination with smugglers. At this time we do not know any more details.
This raid became a larger story than a simple anti-corruption raid because 3 of the customs officers involved in the investigation are children of current or former members of parliament. PAS MP Victoria Cazacu, Socialist MP Radu Mudreac and former PDM MP Gheorghe Brașovschi all had children working for customs and implicated in the investigation.
Speaker of Parliament Igor Grosu, in his capacity as PAS Party Leader, called for Victoria Cazacu to resign from parliament saying:
"Today CNA informed about the searches at the Airport in a case of corruption and bribery targeting the daughter of a Member of Parliament. Even if this person is presumed innocent until a court decision, such cases overshadow and undermine our fight against corruption. ...
The submission of the mandate by deputy Victoria Cazacu is necessary in such circumstances. Also, the parliamentary fraction of PAS will undertake all measures to exclude the deputy from the parliamentary bodies and from the fraction. Corruption is a serious threat to our country and we will not tolerate such cases ,"
Speaker Grosu did not call for the resignation of the Socialist MP but stated that he leaves this responsibility to the Socialist Party. Igor Dodon stated that the son of Radu Mudreac was not detained but was only “in the same room” and that the party continues to support their MP.
PAS then expelled MP Victoria Cazacu from the party. They have called on her to resign from parliament but she has stated that she will not. Cazacu says that she will maintain her post as an independent MP until the investigation is concluded stressing the presumption of innocence of her daughter.
The Director of the Customs Service Igor Talmazan resigned following the raid. He took responsibility for his failure to stop this corruption ring at the airport and noted that as director of the service the ultimate responsibility for the situation lies with him. Prime Minister Recean thanked the outgoing director stating:
“In my memory, Mr. Talmazan is the first official who voluntarily resigned on the principle of honesty. He explained all the circumstances, and I appreciate this action,”
Other Crime, Corruption and Justice Reform News
Here’s a rapid fire roundup of the other top stories in justice of the week:
Anti-Corruption Prosecutors announce record fines and asset confiscations. The service announced that in the first 3 months of 2024 they brought in 49 million lei due to prosecutions - a total that is greater than the last 4 years combined. Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Dragalin said that in the future "We will deliver even more impressive results."
MoldovaGaz Supervisory Board member Sergei Tofilat raised suspicions about procurement contracts by the company’s subsidiaries. Tifolat noted irregularities in the tendering process and stated that one company with just 3 employees has won 21 tenders worth over 34 million lei from Chisinau-Gaz over the last few years. At times the company offered the highest price and still won the tender. The board member also noted that multiple MoldovaGaz subsidiaries reduced the tendering time from 10 days to 2 days. He stated that this is not enough time for real companies to prepare a tender.
Judge Stefan Niţa was found guilty in the case of the Russian Laundromat. The case focused on the laundering of more than $200 million USD from Russia to New Zealand and other countries via fictitious court decisions. The judge will not be arrested following his conviction or face any consequences since the statute of limitations has already run out. The crime was committed in 2011 and the statute of limitations ran out in 2017. Prosecutors say that the ruling is still significant in progressing the larger case of the Russian Laundromat.
PAS MP Olesea Stamate is in damage control mode over Herman von Hebel comments. Last week we wrote about an unfolding story about the head of the Pre-Vetting Commission Herman von Hebel. In the investigation that brought this story to the public Olesea Stamate was quoted disparaging von Hebel, a quote that she denied and said was taken out of context. Following this denial journalists published audio of their phone call with Stamate to refute her denial. In the call she stated "We had big problems with him. He was the man in this committee who slowed things down so much (…) We were very unhappy with him, we can't wait to get rid of him. (…) We really got into a fight with Herman," Stamate claims that she did not know she was on the record and attacked the professional ethics of the journalists who did the investigation. The MP has sought to publicly support the pre-vetting process since this story and control the damage her comments may have caused. Multiple extra-parliamentary parties have called for her resignation.
Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Dragalin still wants a new office. Dragalin stated on social media that her agency’s current office is at capacity with her 100 person team and that in order to fulfill the parliament’s mandate to hire 98 more staff they need to move. Dragalin is now publicly calling out the government and seeking to pressure them to get her agency a new office. Government Spokesman Daniel Voda replied with a curt statement saying that they recognize that government agencies need adequate space and that the government is willing to “continue the dialog” with Anti Corruption Prosecutors to resolve the issue. Dragalin has repeatedly made the news over the past few months by publicly identifying potential new office space at a university and the Academy of Sciences causing protests from the people currently using those offices.
Shor “party” leader Marina Tauber filed her wealth declaration for the year. In it she listed only 28,000 lei of salary but 69,000 euros of cash “gifts” as well as 60,000 euros of loans from Shor affiliated persons. She also listed various items of luxury jewelry as “gifts.”
Bashkan Gutsul was interrogated for 4 hours and then charged in a case against her and the Shor “party.” The case centers on illicit financing of political parties, but the actual charges brought have not been made public. The Bashkan called the case “fabricated” and said that the charges in the 2 year old case showed things were moving at an “accelerated” pace.
Ilan Shor met with supporters in Moscow at an event attended by Tauber. Speaking to his supporters he said that he is preparing for the upcoming presidential elections and that the party is “stronger than ever before.” Moldova’s head of police stated that Shor remains in Russia saying:
“I think this was necessary to make it easier to receive instructions in connection with Moldova. At some point, it became difficult to communicate via video conference. Then, I think, it became problematic to travel to Russia often to change tactics. I think he had to stay in Moscow because it was more convenient and safer,”
Security, Transnistria and Foreign Affairs
Here’s a rapid fire roundup of the top stories in Security and Foreign Affairs of the week:
A Moldovan soldier committed suicide during a training exercise. The soldier, who was conscripted in December 2023 took his own life using his service weapon. Investigations are ongoing by prosecutors, military authorities and the People’s Ombudsman for human rights.
New Military Investments. The European Union allocated an additional 41 million euros to support Moldova’s defense sector over the next 3 years. Additionally the army announced the purchase of another radar installation with support from EU funds. Additional radars will help the military fully monitor Moldova’s airspace in the context of the ongoing war. This week another Russian drone was discovered after crashing in a Moldovan farm field in the south of the country.
Transnistrian “authorities” announced that a drone attacked a military facility in the Rîbnița region. They claim that the drone was targeting a radar which was partially damaged but that no one was injured. As with previous “attacks” the Transnistrian security services blamed Ukraine. Prime Minister Recean responded by stating that this was "another ordinary provocation" designed to cause fear and panic in Moldova. The Reintegration Bureau issued a similar statement and noted that they cannot confirm any details of the alleged attack.
Moldova gave the Diplomatic Merit Medal 1st Class to the outgoing Ukrainian Ambassador Marko Şevchenko. Since the news last week of the assignment of Oleksiy Danilov as the new Ukrainian ambassador various Moldovan commentators and pundits have been trying to make sense of the assignment. Some consensus has formed that this posting was likely planned well in advance and not a spur of the moment consequence of a gaff on an TV show (as we previously wrote about). The BBC called Danilov the "most hawkish" member of the Zelenskyy administration and some commentators in Moldova called this a “threatening sign” for Transnistria.
Romania presents a draft law allowing for military deployments abroad to protect Romanian citizens. The new law would allow the president to deploy troops outside of Romanian territory at the suggestion of the prime minister and with oversight from parliament. At least 600,000 Moldovans have Romanian citizenship and the law is being seen as a legal mechanism allowing the Romanian army to intervene in Moldova during a crisis. Government spokesman Daniel Voda responded to press questions about the law stressing Moldova’s neutrality and refusing to respond to “purely theoretical statements.”
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo visited Moldova meeting with President Sandu. Along with the president the prime minister met with Moldovan schoolchildren to talk with them about European integration. Following the event he put out the following statement:
“It was an honor to discuss with you and hundreds of young Moldovans your incredible efforts to implement reforms before joining the EU. Together we will continue to fight Putin’s relentless disinformation efforts to undermine our democratic values,”
The factory Elektromash in Tiraspol announced that they are suspending operations. The closure has resulted in 600 people being left without work. Factory management claims that they have been denied export permits 80 times from Moldova and that they have 3 million euros of products in stock which cannot be shipped. The permits for export to Russia have been denied because they make “dual-use” products that potentially have both civilian and military functions. Products include "explosion-proof" electrical devices for pumps, ventilation systems and other industrial machines operating in the coal, natural gas, chemical and mining industries. The Reintegration Bureau noted that the permits have been denied because of existing sanctions against Russia and that they are in contact with the factory’s management and will help them in "adjusting directions" if possible.
Politics - 15 Years Since April 7th 2009
This week marked the 15th anniversary of the “Twitter Revolution” of April 7th 2009. The events of that day followed the April 5th parliamentary elections where the Communists announced a 3rd consecutive electoral victory amidst allegations of fraud and vote rigging. What began as peaceful protests soon became violent as some people began attacking and destroying the parliament building and presidential office - both of which were burned down. The original copy of the Declaration of Independence was burned in the process. Police responded with a violent crackdown that saw 600 mostly young protestors detained and at least one killed. Of those detained, many suffered beatings, torture and rape in police custody.
April 7th led to the fall of the Communists and the rise in the first Pro-European coalition of parties. It did not however lead to any real investigations about the events of that day or consequences for decision makers or police officers. It is still unknown who instigated the fires in government buildings and no one has been held accountable for police brutality and torture.
Speaking on the anniversary President Sandu celebrated the protestors saying:
“April 7, 2009 will forever remain a raw wound of the consequences of an authoritarian regime that imprisons its free-thinking youth, wants to rule by instilling fear, and is afraid of its own citizens. But April 7 will also remain in our history as a symbol of resistance, courage and strength of a people who want to be free. Democracy essentially means the belief that we can create our own destiny. And when this right is violated, let us rise up against evil,”
Members of the Communist party, many of whom were in charge at the time and are still in parliament now, put out a statement essentially glorifying former president Voronin and saying that everything in Moldova started getting worse on that day in 2009.
Other Political Updates
Here’s a rapid fire roundup of the other top political stories of the week:
In the Hincesti region, 16 of the 17 mayors elected from the PSDE party have applied to join PAS. The Party of European Social Democrats (PSDE) is the successor to Vladimir Plahotniuc’s Party of Democrats (PD / PDM). PAS has stated that they will evaluate the application of the mayors to change parties case by case.
The Party of Communists has decided to boycott the referendum on European integration. At a meeting announcing the choice party representatives called the referendum “a fraudulent trick by Maia Sandu.” Currently the Communists are the only party planning a boycott of the referendum.
Fugitive oligarch Veaceslav Platon has announced the creation of a new political party called Phoenix Moldova. Oddly, the new party’s logo is identical to the logo of the "Free and Sovereign Moldova" party which was formed in February. In announcing the party Platon leaned into populist language saying that the party would "break the state in the form in which it currently exists" and "pull the country out of the swamp." Additionally he stated that he and a group of strong men / individuals would lead the country to prosperity not for financial gain but for the "glory, admiration and veneration of our people." Platon is wanted in Moldova for his part orchestrating the Russian Laundromat, the billion dollar bank fraud and schemes against multiple insurance companies. He is currently living freely in the United Kingdom.
President Sandu met with Penny Pritzker, US Special Representative for the Economic Recovery of Ukraine, in Chisinau. The presidential administration characterized the meeting as follows:
“At the meeting they discussed what role Moldova can play in the restoration of Ukraine. Modern and safe roads and railways on our territory will facilitate communication between Ukraine and Romania and other countries of the European Union. Moreover, our country is ready to host companies involved in the reconstruction of Ukraine in order to facilitate their access and subsequent investments in the neighboring country,”
Referendum campaigning begins. Over the weekend top PAS leaders including President Sandu, Prime Minister Recean and many members of parliament joined party volunteers in going out into towns and villages to begin campaigning for the European integration referendum. Campaigners wore blue vests to show their support for joining the EU.
