Former President of the Republic of Moldova and current PSRM MP Igor Dodon claims that authorities are intentionally accelerating the examination of the “Kuliok” case in which he is implicated. According to him, the court scheduled 22 hearings for May and June, which he believes shows an attempt to deliver a verdict quickly.
“Four years ago, on this day, masked officers arrived at our homes, and the saga of politically motivated criminal cases began. About one hundred court hearings followed, along with days spent in detention. In 2022, the goal was to destroy the PSRM by decapitating the party, meaning removing Dodon from politics. Authorities exerted enormous pressure, Mr. Litvinenco became involved, and Mr. Gribincea is now strongly pushing to finalize this case as quickly as possible. The court scheduled 22 hearings for May and June, something that has never happened before. Out of the nearly one hundred hearings held over four years, almost half took place this year. They want a verdict in the coming months. For what purpose? I believe it is the same as in 2022,” Dodon stated on Thursday, May 21.
At the end of November 2025, the court restarted the case commonly known as the “Kuliok” case from the beginning after replacing one of the three judges on the panel. Prosecutors based the case on video footage recorded in June 2019 that allegedly shows former Democratic Party leader Vladimir Plahotniuc handing Igor Dodon a black plastic bag. Prosecutors claim the bag contained between $600,000 and $1 million intended for the illegal financing of the PSRM.
Igor Dodon rejects the accusations, insists on his innocence, and claims that the footage was manipulated. Prosecutors charged him with passive corruption and accepting illegal party financing, offenses that carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years.