Former MP Vladimir Vitiuc appears in the ruling of the Chisinau Court, Buiucani office, as one of the key figures in the Marina Tauber case, who was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for the illegal financing of the former Shor Party. His name is mentioned in several sections of the court decision, both as a key witness and as a person used by investigators in special investigation procedures, indicating that he acted undercover.
According to the document, “the statements of witness Vladimir Vitiuc, who testified under oath according to Article 108 of the Criminal Procedure Code, were considered relevant and significant for the case.” The court notes that the former MP provided essential details about how unofficial payments were made inside the Shor Party.
“During his activity, everything was organized, and all expenses were covered officially. He received a salary of 100,000 lei per month, plus the car rent, the driver’s salary — all paid by the party office, in addition to his official salary from Parliament of about 16,000 lei. The 100,000 lei monthly were not paid officially — the payment was made in envelopes, without signing any document, and sometimes with delays,” the ruling states.
In another section, the court mentions that Vitiuc’s statements corroborate with testimonies from other party members about the parallel financing of election campaigns and the existence of a structured mechanism for distributing cash funds to activists and party officials.
The ruling also states that Vitiuc was involved as a confidential collaborator, under the code name “Palermo”, with an encrypted identity registered as Alexandru Cojocari. He operated undercover for four to six months while being held in Penitentiary No. 13 in Chisinau, after which he was released from custody and agreed voluntarily — without pressure or promises from prosecutors — considering it a “civic duty.”
This participation was challenged by Marina Tauber’s defense, which argued that his involvement was illegal. The court rejected the claim, noting that “the defense did not indicate any legal norm violated during the engagement of undercover investigator Vladimir Vitiuc,” and that the evidence obtained was legal and useful for establishing the truth.
Vitiuc also admitted that he formally signed some donation lists on behalf of the Shor Party, “fictitiously, only to create the appearance of real contributions.” This testimony was included among the evidence confirming falsification of financial reports during the Balti mayoral campaign.
“In the Balti election campaign, about 100 donations were listed, but they were not real. In other cases, the money came through cryptocurrency and other methods. In 2021, more than one million euros were spent — funds used for accommodation, meals, and mobilization of activists.”
The court found that “Vladimir Vitiuc was listed as a donor even though he did not make real donations, and his signature was used to justify sums originating from illegal sources.” This was considered relevant proof of the fictitious nature of the party’s financing.
Based on these statements and other evidence, the Chisinau Court concluded that Marina Tauber acted “with direct intent, as the author and organizer of illegal financing,” using a complex system of money distribution from the group led by Ilan Shor.