A Chisinau man, 39, has been arraigned on criminal homicide charges in the death of the labor union leader Tatiana Kolomoitseva in April 2019. The suspect was living next door to Kolomoitseva in a Centru apartment building.

The Prosecutor General’s Office said in a press release that the suspect was arrested a day after the murder. Prosecutors believe robbery was the prime motive.

Married with one child, the man was known by the neighbors to have habitually been fighting with his wife over money. He told prosecutors he had killed his neighbor and then pawned the spoils so that he could pay off a loan.

The suspect faces up to 20 years in prison or imprisonment for life.

There were suspicions that Tatiana Kolomoitseva, a staunch trade unionist and whistleblower, was murdered in connection with her activities.