The case of MP Alexandr Nesterovski has been sent to trial. The lawmaker is accused of passive corruption in particularly large proportions and of attempted illegal funding a political party, in the interest of an organized criminal group.
The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office says that Nesterovski accepted undue gains and advantages,
including at least $35,000 to defect the Bloc of Communists and Socialists and create a parliamentary group to act in the interests of Ilan Shor’s criminal organization. Nesterovski also accepted to head the Renaissance Party for the same purposes.
According to prosecutors, Nesterovski also tried to talk former lawmaker Arina Spătaru into heading a political project that would ostensibly be pro-European, but in fact would promote Ilan Shor’s interests. As per Spătaru’s own deposition, she was promised the party would be fully sponsored by Shor. To this end, Nesterovski made arrangements for Spătaru to travel to Israel and meet Shor in person. Upon her return, Nesterovski sent her $50,000, 100,000 lei and an encrypted phone to keep Shor posted.
On September 21, Nesterovski and fellow party member Irina Lozovan were stripped of parliamentary immunity before being arrested. Nesterovski and Lozovan are now under house arrest pending trial.
In early November, the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office announced the completion of the criminal investigation against Irina Lozovan and her husband Pavel Gîrleanu, accused of knowingly accepting party funding from an organized criminal group.
