Journalists infiltrate network of Kremlin agents in Moldova, investigation shown on live TV

Moldova's biggest television channels aired a journalistic investigation into how the populist pro-Russian SOR party bribes citizens with Russian money. Source: Ziarul de Garda news portal, whose journalists previously published the corresponding investigation. Details: The investigation aired on Sunday evening on Moldova-1, as well as other major stations such as TV8, Jurnal TV, ONE TV, and Star TV.

Journalists from the Moldovan news portal penetrated the "network of Ilan Shor" - the head of the populist pro-Russian party - and demonstrated how citizens are recruited to work for Russia.

According to their conclusions, the party's main tasks now are to change the country's pro-European course, to compromise the EU referendum, and to provide votes for the candidate opposing the current president, Maia Sandu, who will be endorsed by SOR (the candidate has yet to be named). The portal's journalist, using a fake name, penetrated the network and spent three months participating in party-organised protests, election meetings, and campaign duties, learning how it operates.

For example, it turned out that participants were driven to one of the July protests in leased automobiles rather than buses, which could have been spotted and not let through. Organisers distributed posters with slogans at rallies and, when needed, positioned people for photos and recordings.

The investigator was registered as an activist in the Telegram chatbot in August, and she was then encouraged to recruit new supporters, with "bonuses" for each individual she invited and promises of potential "career growth" in the network. The monthly revenues of 1,000 Moldovan lei (about US£57) were offered to those who were recruited. Additionally, it was discovered that they currently use cards instead of the traditional method of receiving money, through cash. 

Based on a fictitious document made at the editorial office using her fictitious name, the journalist was granted an account with the Russian Promsvyazbank and received RUB 15,000 (about US£156) in September and October for her work. She got a lot of calls from Moscow during the process. The investigation also found that Shor's network continued to operate long after the Moldovan police and prosecutor's office announced the destruction of the voter bribing network.

Moldova will hold presidential elections and a referendum on EU membership on the same day next Sunday, 20 October.

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