Searches conducted today as part of investigations into alleged illegal financing of a political party resulted in three suspects being detained. The Șansă/Chance Party condemned the actions as “intimidation” of candidates ahead of the November 5 local elections.

The National Anticorruption Center said 65 searches were carried out in multiple locations in the country, targeting a political party as well as formally independent candidates that seem to share the same campaign staff.

The finds include PYYPL virtual debit cards, phones and tablets with the application installed, cash, 24 rounds of 5.60 mm caliber, logs of various campaign events indicating the amounts paid to the attenders, and spy gear, the Center said in a press release.

The Center added that evidence was collected confirming “falsification of signatures” in supporter lists. The evidence is also said to prove that the party in question paid 20,000 lei to each of the candidates that it supports openly or covertly, as well as sums ranging from 500 to 3,000 lei to buy votes.

Alexei Lungu, the president of Șansă/Chance Party reacted by saying: “This morning, the current government once again searched the house of the candidate for Comrat mayor Serghei Ciulaflî. Serghei runs independently, and our party only supports him. It seems that he has become a red rag for PAS. They decided to intimidate Serghei right ahead of the election”.