While operating within the former political Party ”Shor,” which the authorities declared unconstitutional, Evghenia Gutul and Svetlana Popan introduced financial means into the Republic of Moldova several times, according to case documents. They organized regular routes to Ukraine and Romania to transport the money.
Between October and December 2021, they collaborated with other party members to bring $21,000 into Moldova. They trained the presidents of territorial offices in drafting fictitious donations to give a legal appearance to the sums.
From January to November 2022, they accepted the Party’s illegal financing totaling more than 40 million lei. In February 2022, they carried out three routes to Ukraine and Romania, introducing $84,000 into the country.
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During the protests between August and October 2022, they recruited participants and paid them between 300 and 400 lei, while also providing transportation. Protesters who stayed overnight in tents received $100 each.
They paid a total of 19,024 participants using funds from illegal sources, amounting to 36,999,712 lei.
”Although she knew the origin of the funds and the illegal nature of the Party’s financing, the defendant personally accepted the sum of 60,000 lei from the department head. In the same criminal case, the court also convicted a second individual who, between October and December 2021, served as president of the Central Territorial Office of the Political Party ‘Shor’ and knowingly accepted the candidate’s illegal financing amounting to 152,725 lei.
The money, originating from the same criminal group, covered food expenses for members of the initiative group involved in the local election campaign in the municipality of Balti,” the judges asserted.
Later, they accepted additional financial means totaling around 9.5 million lei. They also accepted approximately the same amount for the Party’s illegal financing between August 1, 2022, and February 18, 2023.
Judges established that they actively organized paid protests in front of public institutions in Chisinau. They collected participant lists and photos through the Telegram app to confirm attendance.
Between September 2022 and February 2023 alone, they paid approximately 24,000 protesters about 9.5 million lei and allegedly accepted undeclared salaries as well.