The People’s Republican Party leader Nicolae Andronic is accused by the General Public Prosecutor Office (PG) of extorting USD 150,000 from the family of a businessmen, a press release of the PG says, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. According to the document, investigations established that in the period from September to November, 1999, Andronic, who was serving as first deputy prime minister, has extorted from the family of a businessman the sum of USD 150,000, equivalent to more than MDL 1.64 mln at that moment. Based on the collected evidence, Andronic has been charged on January 4 with extortion of goods in large amounts. He was also prohibited from leaving the country for a 30 day term. PG and the Ministry of Internal Affairs deny Andronic’s recent statements concerning the political character of the criminal procedures initiated against him. According to the PG, the penal investigation concerning Andronic has not been initiated at the initiative of the law enforcement bodies, but on the basis of a grievance coming from an individual. A week ago, Nicolae Andronic told Info-Prim Neo that the accusations brought to him “are aberrations”. However, the politician says he was expecting a situation of this kind, given the state of affairs in Moldova. He explains the pressure he is subjected to by the recent elections in UTA Gagauzia, won by one of the PPR leaders, after the candidate supported by government party had been eliminated in the first poll. Andronic considers that it is also a case of persecution before this spring’s general local elections. In the context, Nicolae Andronic asserts that his case is opening “another series of politicians to whom the head of state initiates penal cases”. “Communists party headed by Voronin attempts to eliminate its political opponents”, the PPR leader says.