The authors of the multiple bomb hoaxed reported in the recent past are supposedly from Russia and Belarus. Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița said the authorities are working with the two states so as to identify the culprits. The goal of the hoaxes is to cause a state of panic in society and to weaken the intervention capacities of state institutions.
The reports of bomb threats come from Russian and Belarusian online accounts, but those who ordered such acts can be residents of other states. “These bomb scares come from outside and it is very hard to trace them. The sources are from Belarus, Russia. We are working with these states so as to identify the persons, but it is very hard to track them down online, especially those who ordered such acts. It is easy for them to adjust the tactic. We also don’t know if those who are behind these acts are in the mentioned countries as we have the address of the computer only. But those who know how information technology works realize that these data can be manipulated. We are trying to strengthen our response capacities. For example, we are introducing harsher restrictions so that we do not need to evacuate the people and this requires a period of transition when we need to change the mechanisms, laws and to train people,” Natalia Gavrilița stated in a program on Radio Moldova station.
According to the Premier, the attempts to destabilize the situation in Moldova are allegedly coordinated from outside, by persons who want the European integration process of the Republic of Moldova to be stopped. “These alerts are designed to diminish our vigilance, to keep us busy, to test our reaction. That’s why I once again call on the people to remain calm and solidary. The times are difficult, with many challenges, from different directions. We have thieves who fled the Republic of Moldova, but who have access to resources and try to destabilize the situation as they are afraid of the justice sector reform, of the European integration process,” said Natalia Gavrilița.
In order to discourage hoaxes, the Ministry of the Interior suggests making the punishment with jail harsher and increasing the fines. Currently, the intentional misleading about an act of territories is punished with at most two years in jail. The proposal to amend the Penal Code provides that the punishment will be two to five years in jail, while the fine will be minimum 50,000 lei and maximum 150,000 lei. The bill also stipulates a number of aggravating circumstances for which the punishment will rise to 12 years behind bars.
