By Alexander Tanas
(Reuters) -Moldovan police said pro-Russian fugitive businessman Ilan Shor had channeled $39 million in September and October in a scheme to bribe voters in last Sunday’s presidential election and referendum on joining the EU.
Moldovan authorities have said the election campaign was overshadowed by a massive Russia-linked election meddling scheme aimed at defeating the pro-Europe side.
The police earlier accused Shor of an attempt to bribe 130,000 voters. He denies any wrongdoing, and the Kremlin has denied interfering in the vote.
The country’s police chief, Viorel Cernauteanu, told a briefing on Thursday that Shor used Russia’s Promsvyazbank to transfer $24 million in October, in addition to $15 million channelled in September, to pay off voters.
Pro-European incumbent Maia Sandu won Sunday’s presidential election but failed to secure 50% of votes and so now faces a Nov. 3 runoff against former prosecutor-general Alexandr Stoianoglo, who is backed by a traditionally pro-Russian party. In the referendum, a surprisingly slim majority – 50.46% of voters – supported EU accession.
During the election campaign, Shor openly offered to pay Moldovans to persuade others to vote “no” in the referendum and to support a specific candidate, who he did not name publicly. He launched a bot on the Telegram messaging platform for this means.
Cernauteanu said the police had blocked 97 chat-bots before the vote explaining to people how to use the Promsvyazbank banking app and get the money.
On Monday, Sandu called the campaign “an unfair fight” and claimed victory in the referendum designed to enshrine Moldova’s EU path in the constitution. She said there was “clear evidence” that criminal groups backed by “foreign forces hostile to our national interests” had aimed to buy off 300,000 votes.
Moscow has denounced the vote in Moldova as not free and has cast doubt on the slim majority of “yes” votes in the referendum. On Wednesday, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the United States and the European Union had meddled in the campaign.
(Reporting by Alexander TanasWriting by Yuliia Dysa Editing by Peter Graff and Frances Kerry)
