Two local leaders of Ilan Shor's party will be tried for illegal financing from illicit sources. The Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office (APO) sent to court the criminal case against the head of the Ungheni local organization and the head of the Soroca local organization of "Shor" party, IPN reports.

The two are accused of complicity in the illegal financing of the party, through an organized criminal group - a crime stipulated in the Criminal Code. The heads of the Ungheni and Soroca local organizations were involved in accepting and supporting illicit financing between July and October 2022, according to the APO.

During the mentioned period, the illicit financing exceeded 3.2 million lei for the head of the Ungheni organization and 9.7 million lei for the head of the Soroca organization. The funds were used to support the party's political activities, with the aim of promoting its interests and gaining power in the state through illegal means.

According to the criminal prosecution documents, the two leaders, as coordinators of local organizations, were aware of the illegal origin of the funds and actively contributed to their management. In complicity with the central leadership of the party, they coordinated and supported the activities of the party, which benefited from funding from an organized criminal group.

In order to ensure the recovery of eventual penalties, the prosecutors seized assets owned by the two – to the value of over 2 million lei in the case of the head of the Ungheni organization and of over 330,000 lei in the case of the head of the Soroca organization.

Both of the defendants refused to admit their guilt and the case will be now examined by the Buiucani Court of Chisinau City. They face a fine of 57,500 to 92,500 lei or 2 to 7 years in jail, as well as a ban on holding public office for a period of up to 5 years.

The accused persons are presumed innocent until a final court judgement is passed.