Members and sympathizers of Șor Party staged a protest at the Presidential Palace on Friday, seeking the resignation of President Maia Sandu. They accused the government of harassment and intimidation, including by blocking roads for the people not to get to the protest. They noted that today’s searches that ended with the arrest of two persons from the parry’s central staff also represent intimidation, IPN reports.

Members of the party accused the government of exerting pressure on the opposition leaders. The crowd was familiarized with the message transmitted by MP Marina Tauber, who is in remand detention at Penitentiary No. 13. “This incompetent and perfidious government led by Maia Sandu should leave. If it does not accept voluntarily, we will have to force it to leave. The abuses, illegalities and disdain against me show their essence and attitude to the whole society,” read the message.

From the Presidential Palace, the protesters marched towards the National Anticorruption Center where two members of the central staff of Șor Party are allegedly held.

Contacted by IPN for a comment, press officer of the Prosecutor General’s Office Mariana Cherpec confirmed that the searches formed part of the case of illegal financing of the party, but noted that details will be provided when the investigation measures are over.

“Today, when Șor Party announced a new protest at the Presidential Palace, Maia Sandu sent her prosecutors to our local subdivisions on the pretext of conducting new searches even if the real goal of these moves was to intimidate and blackmail activists. There are a number of confirmed cases documented by lawyers, when local leaders of the party were forced by investigators to make false statements against Șor Party under the threat of being detained,” the party said in a press release issued after the searches.

A criminal case against the illegal financing of Șor Party was started in July, with MP Marina Tauber being arrested in this case. According to the police, the party consciously accepted money from a criminal group. The money was used for party interests and to pay artists for concerts and to mount protests. The money was transferred to Moldova also as crytocurrency and different financing channels through Dubai, Vienna and Monaco were used in order to hide its origin.