Law enforcement officers on Tuesday morning carried out searches in Cimișlia and Comrat, at the homes and in the cars of six individuals affiliated to a political party, within two criminal cases started for electoral corruption and illegal financing of parties, IPN reports.
According to the National Anticorruption Center (NAC), the six people were investigated in the process of corrupting voters for the October 20 referendum and presidential election. They allegedly compiled lists of interested persons, centralized information about them, transmitted their personal data to third parties and financial institutions outside the country so that the latter could obtain illicit rewards for exercising the right to vote.
During the searches, phones, cash and draft documents were seized. All the six persons were classed as suspects. The actions take place under the procedural direction of prosecutors of the municipality of Cahul.
The NAC said that people who offer money to influence the results of an election face one year to five years in prison and a fine of over 50,000 lei. The illegal financing of political parties from prohibited sources is punishable by up to six years in prison and a fine of over 67,000 lei. In order to ensure the recovery of the damage, the law enforcement institutions can seize the person's property. Also, the persons who denounce the scheme and cooperate with the criminal investigation body, and also yield up the things transferred to them illegally, can be released from criminal or contravention liability.
