The Bashkan of Gagauzia Evhenia Guțul was arrested for 72 hours in the case of fraudulent management of electoral funds, illegal financing and false statements. She is in the custody of the National Anticorruption Center and prosecutors are to charge her during the next few hours. Also, the court will be requested to order to place her in pre-trial detention, IPN reports.

The governor of Gagauzia was arrested in the case in which the financing actions during the 2023 elections are being investigated. The suspect allegedly instigated and organized, through the treasurer, the falsification of a number of documents, in which inauthentic data on cash donations made by individuals for the election contestant were introduced, documents that confirm the source of the financial means and were submitted to a national financial institution and also to the Central Election Commission of Gagauzia. In these circumstances, the bank account of the election contestant was supplemented with financial means from sources prohibited by law in the amount of 370,000 lei. The money was later used to purchase goods and pay taxes and services related to the election campaign.

Evgenia Guțul was arrested last night at the Chisinau International Airport, when she intended to leave the country. According to the Prosecutor General's Office, she appears in the information systems on the no-fly list. That is why the border guards informed the competent authorities about the incident. After the arrest, fugitive convict Ilan Shor said that the actions are a crime, while supporters of the Bashkan came together in front of the National Anticorruption Center, despite the fact that it was late and raining.

The Bashkan’s adviser Mihail Vlah called on the Gagauz people to join a rally in support of Evgenia Guțul on Wednesday. The demonstration is set to take place in front of the Executive Committee in Comrat, starting at 09:00 a.m.