The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on October 26 “took action to counter the Government of the Russian Federation’s (GoR) persistent malign influence campaigns and systemic corruption in Moldova by imposing sanctions on nine individuals and 12 entities”, IPN reports, quoting a press release of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
“The individuals and entities sanctioned today include oligarchs widely recognized for capturing and corrupting Moldova’s political and economic institutions and those acting as instruments of Russia’s global influence campaign, which seeks to manipulate the United States and its allies and partners, including Moldova and Ukraine. The designations include former Moldovan government official Vladimir Plahotniuc, who engaged in state capture by exerting control over and manipulating key sectors of Moldova’s government, including the law enforcement, electoral, and judicial sectors,” runs the press release.
“The sanctions imposed today expose not only Russia’s covert strategy in Moldova, but also demonstrate how corruption undermines the rule of law,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson.
Businessman Ilan Shor, the Shor Party of this and his wife Sarah Shor (pseudonym Jasmine) were also sanctioned because they, as the U.S. authorities consider, represent the Russian Federation’s interests in Moldova.
“The inclusion into this sanctions list leads to the blocking of the culprits’ property that is in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons,” said Vladimir Thorik, Moldovan journalist and editor of the Russian language department of RISE Moldova, who, alongside local and foreign counterparts, regularly conducts investigations about the organized crime in the Republic of Moldova and about the Kremlin’s influence on Moldovan politics.
“As practice shows, many developed states, including the European Union, need to comply with the U.S. sanctions that in this case were imposed on Moldovan kleptocrats and their associates,” said the journalist, adding that now that they are under U.S. sanctions, Plahotniuc and Shor become all over the world not only a symbol of Moldovan corruption but also the Kremlin’s marionettes.
According to Vladimir Thorik, tens of criminal cases were started in Moldova the last few years against members of the so-called “criminal group of Plahotniuc” that includes “the Shor group” but not much progress has been made so far.
The journalist noted that people from the groupings of Plahotniuc and Shor continue influencing Moldovan investigation and courts, the economic and political processes in Moldova.
“According to the United States’ logic, the Kremlin is behind these criminal groups that have robbed Moldova under European colors for a decade. This way, the network of agents of influence consisted or consists of corrupt Moldovan officials and businessmen affiliated to them. Who are they? Where do they work? What property do they have in Moldova and in other states? If the questions are formulated this way and corruption is considered an element of the secret fight in the Republic of Moldova, this can lead to the initiation of a new stage, of a broader, international inquiry,” noted the editor of RISE Moldova.
According to Vladimir Thorik, if the members of the criminal community and the Kremlin’s marionettes continue influencing the economy and politics in Moldova, the next sanctions lists of the United States and other countries can include names of other known Moldovan politicians and businessmen.
