Moldovan police have searched the homes of the leaders of a group linked to pro-Russian businessman Ilan Shor as part of an investigation into election meddling, police said, as quoted by Reuters.
Police have accused Shor and Russia of trying to interfere in Moldova’s presidential election, scheduled for October 20, which will be held in parallel with a referendum to include European Union membership in the country’s constitution as a strategic goal.
Shor, who is in exile in Russia, rejected accusations that he tried to bribe voters, calling the statements of the Moldovan authorities an “absurd spectacle”, BTA reported.
Moldovan police said tens of thousands of voters were bribed through Russian bank accounts to rig the vote. She said the effort was led by people in Russia.
The searches are part of an investigation into the creation and management of an organized crime group involved in money laundering, vote buying and illegal financing to influence the electoral process, police said.
Similar searches have been carried out at the properties of other Shore supporters in recent days and have turned up cash that police say was intended to bribe voters and distribute campaign leaflets.
Shore was convicted in absentia last year for his role in stealing $1 billion from Moldovan banks. He proposed in a post last month on his Telegram social app account that he would pay people who vote “no” in the referendum.
President Maia Sandu is the favorite to win the election and opinion polls show she has a wide lead over the other 10 contenders. Polls also show that the majority of Moldovans support joining the EU.
Moldova’s relations with Russia have deteriorated in recent years. The pro-Western government in Chisinau accuses Moscow of trying to overthrow it and meddling in the country’s internal affairs. Moscow accused Sandu’s team of inciting “Russophobia”.