Anonymous source sends list of alleged pro-Russian agents to Moldovan media

In Moldova, an anonymous person, allegedly a law enforcement officer, handed the media a list of names of several thousand citizens supposedly linked to the network of pro-Russian fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor.

As reported by Newsmaker, the Inspector General of the Moldovan police did not confirm or deny the authenticity of this list.

"This information needs to be confirmed using data from law enforcement. The idea that judicial and law enforcement agencies are in disagreement is strongly denied by the police. Effective documentation of this extensive voter bribery process was made feasible only by expert collaboration. We believe that this letter is an attempt to split the institutions," the General Inspectorate of Police said.

The publication was informed by the Moldovan Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office that it will examine the provided information.

"We will examine the information listed and contrast it with the case materials. We are unable to comment on anything at this time," the office specified.

A list of thousands of names of people who are purportedly "members of the Shor network" had been supplied to the Moldovan media's email addresses. According to the sender, they were a law enforcement official.

"My colleagues and I have been losing sleep, documenting the whole scheme for many years. Now I see everyone on social media saying that the police and special services did nothing. That's not true! We have known everything for a long time," says the sender.

The letter also states that the people on the list "agitated citizens to protests, collected their personal data and opened accounts in Russian banks".

"They were paid 2,000 lei (about US$111) per vote, many were promised to be paid after the election. They were told to vote against [European integration – ed.] in a referendum and support Stoianoglo or Furtună," says the author of the letter.

Moldovan police stated on Friday that they had apprehended the Shor criminal group's commander in the city of Ungheni. The detainee allegedly paid 1,500 Moldovan lei (about US$84) for votes in support of a specific politician.

Viorel Cerneucanu, the head of Moldova's General Inspectorate of Police, stated that more than US$24 million was moved from the Russian Federation in October, on the eve of the Moldovan elections and referendum, and that the fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor is behind this.

Currently, law enforcement authorities have identified over 520 individuals implicated in a voter bribery scam.