The criminal case featuring MP Marina Tauber and the Shor Party as a legal entity over falsification of reports on the financing of the election campaign and the political party and acceptance of illegal funding from an organized criminal group was remitted to court, IPN reports.
The Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office reminded that the legal proceedings were initiated in January 2023 following notifications from the National Investigation Inspectorate and the Central Election Commission.
According to prosecutors, Marina Tauber, competing for the post of mayor in snap elections in the municipality of Balti on November 21, 2021 on behalf of the Shor Party, consciously accepted 9.7 million lei from the organized criminal group led by Ilan Shor and illegally introduced 740,000 lei of this sum in donation applications in the name of 104 private individuals, who in reality didn’t donate anything.
Also, Tauber Marina intentionally falsified the report on the financial management of the party with the aim of substituting, hiding the identity of donors, the accumulated amounts, the purpose and amount of the spent money and the utilization of undeclared, noncompliant large funds that came from abroad.
The MP is also accused of consciously accepting, as the deputy chairwoman of the Shor Party, 195.5 million lei from the organized criminal group led by Ilan Shor in the interests of the party. The money was spent on running and maintaining the party.
About 8.5 million lei of the total sum was transmitted under the control of the prosecution body, while approximately 9 million lei was found and seized during searches.
The accused deny any wrongdoing. The criminal case in 67 volumes, together with the indictment, was sent to the Buiucani Court of Chisinau for examination.
The given offenses carry a fine of 57,500 to 450,000 lei and two to seven years in jail, with ban on holding particular posts or performing particular activities for a period of two to five years and liquidation of the legal entity.
Marina Tauber is now under house arrest. The measure is valid until June 30.