Welcome to the 14th iteration of our bulletin! We aim to provide special insights into how disinformation works and spreads in Moldova in the weeks leading up to the presidential elections and the EU accession referendum. At Funky Citizens,  we have been following trends and narratives linked to disinformation for the last few years, and we understand how intense this crucial period is. We would like to thank our colleagues from watchdog.md and stopfals.md for their contributions to this bulletin. Their materials and findings, quoted directly or indirectly, form the foundation of the current content.

Ziarul de Gardă delivered the investigation of the former phase of the campaign, delving deep into the workings of networks aimed at buying people’s political loyalty. Today they have published an in-depth portrait of Alexandr Stoianoglo and his ties with corruption. You might remember that Sandu enquired about Stoianoglo’s ties with Şor and Platon, something he denied during the debate; today’s portrait documents these ongoing ties.

The key to this claim is Veaceslav Platon, who held various political and business roles, including serving in the Moldovan Parliament and holding vice president positions at Moldindconbank and Investprivatbank. He has been involved in the sugar industry in Moldova and atomic energy in Ukraine. Platon has faced numerous fraud charges, including the “Russian Laundromat” scheme, which funneled $22 billion out of Russia. In October 2024, he was further accused of withdrawing an additional 48 billion rubles with the help of Vlad Plahotniuc and Renato Usatîi. Veaceslav Platon was detained in Kiev in July 2016, accused of illegally obtaining 1 billion lei from the Savings Bank of Moldova. After being extradited to Chişinău, he faced charges of fraud, money laundering, bribery and embezzlement. In 2017, he was sentenced to a total of 30 years in prison. In 2019, Alexandr Stoianoglo became the new Prosecutor General and suggested reviewing Platon’s case. In January 2020, Platon’s 12-year sentence was annulled, and in June, he was released from prison. Stoianoglo was later suspended and faced charges of illegally absolving Platon and accepting bribes.

In May 2020, a video surfaced showing a friendly interaction between Veaceslav Platon and then-Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo during Platon’s hearing, sparking speculations about their long-standing acquaintance. Their first known public interaction dates back to 2009 when both were elected to the Moldovan Parliament. In January 2021, suspended Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Viorel Morari revealed that companies linked to Platon were actually owned by Stoianoglo’s wife, Țvetana Curdova. Platon claimed the records were falsified just before Morari’s press conference. In 2024, Ziarul de Gardă confirmed that Curdova was indeed listed as the beneficiary of Platon’s companies, with addresses matching those of her previous businesses.

In a complementary article, Alexandr Stoianoglo has been linked to several controversial figures and activities: in 2020, Alexandr Stoianoglo’s General Prosecutor’s Office refused to open a case on the “kuliok” incident involving Vladimir Plahotniuc and Igor Dodon (who appointed Stoianoglo as prosecutor) claiming procedural vices, but the case was reopened and sent to court after Stoianoglo’s suspension. Additionally, Stoianoglo and Platon, along with Valentin Chepteni, were the only deputies to vote against dissolving economic courts, which Platon allegedly used for economic raider attacks. These connections, along with allegations of corruption and manipulation of legal processes, cast doubt on Stoianoglo’s integrity and suitability for the role of President.

In support of all the claims regarding Stoianoglo having Şor’s support, Watchdog.md identified a YouTube channel of the TV station “MD24,” launched in Moscow by none other than the fugitive oligarch Ilan Şor, is promoting a video clip that discredits Maia Sandu while praising her opponent. The clip is promoted by the Belarusian organization “ООО Вебком Групп”. This sponsored video attempts to highlight Stoianoglo’s electoral promises, which fall outside the President of the Republic of Moldova’s jurisdiction, and casts Maia Sandu in a negative light. The involvement of a foreign entity in promoting this video violates Moldova’s electoral legislation.

“Tanti Raia”, one of the central figures of the investigation on Şor’s network on buying votes, was interviewed by the national TV station. Raisa Surdu was placed under house arrest for 30 days following the aforementioned investigation by Ziarul de Gardă. Despite her participation, Tanti Raia claimed she was unaware of the risks and urged people to vote according to their conscience. The investigation showed that members received monthly payments through the sanctioned Russian bank “Promsviazbank” to influence presidential elections and boycott a national referendum, with amounts ranging from 5,000 to 250,000 rubles (about 50 to 2380 EUR). The National Anti-Corruption Center (CNA) has issued fines totalling over 2 million lei for passive electoral corruption, based on more than 350 reports received from the police. The fines for this type of offense range from the equivalent of  about 1300 to 2000 EUR.

Raia isn’t the only one that regrets her involvement with Şor’s network. An activist who left Ilan Șor’s network revealed the harsh realities of his involvement, stating that instead of benefiting, he ended up poorer. He described how he was drawn into the network with promises of financial gain, only to find himself exploited and disillusioned. The former activist recounted the pressure to recruit others and the constant fear of legal repercussions.

The National Center for Personal Data Protection (CNPDCP) announced that it will thoroughly verify a list of 3,789 individuals allegedly connected to Ilan Șor’s network. This list, which includes names and contact details, was circulated to journalists and media outlets, prompting the CNPDCP to investigate the accuracy of the data and cross-check it with information held by law enforcement agencies. The Head of the National Police revealed new audio recordings during a briefing. These recordings feature conversations of activists who allegedly paid voters to vote “NO” in the referendum and for a specific candidate in the October 20 presidential elections. Prime Minister Dorin Recean urged citizens to vote honestly, assuring that those who committed electoral crimes will be punished and President Maia Sandu stated selling your vote is equal to selling your freedom and your future.

Daniel Vodă, the spokesperson for the Government, highlighted the recent surge in disinformation in Moldova, emphasizing the need for accurate information and unity among citizens. He pointed out that misleading claims, especially during election periods, are often used to manipulate public opinion and urged people to rely on credible sources. Vodă also addressed various false narratives, including those about foreign interference and vote-buying, and reassured that the government is committed to transparency and the protection of citizens’ rights.

The resurgence of known disinformation narratives in centred around the threat that foreign citizens will buy Moldovan land and was recognized by Stop Fals and the Government:

• Stop Fals sheds light on the narrative that a Belarusian news site published a story on October 14 claiming that the American investment firm Blackrock was preparing to purchase agricultural land in Moldova, with the Ministry of Agriculture allegedly supporting the transaction. This information, which was widely shared on social media and by a Moldovan deputy, was quickly debunked by both Blackrock and the Ministry of Agriculture. Moldovan law prohibits foreign citizens and companies from buying agricultural land, and the Ministry clarified that it does not negotiate land transactions. The false report also suggested that the European Union had urged Moldova to lift these restrictions, which was also denied by EU officials. The false news spread rapidly after the first round of Moldova’s presidential elections, appearing on various Telegram channels, Facebook pages, TikTok, YouTube, and online publications in Moldova and Russia. Irina Lozovan, a deputy from the Victory Bloc led by fugitive oligarch Ilan Șor, used the story to accuse the current government of selling the country piece by piece.

• Recent online rumors claimed that the land of “Toma Ciorbă” Hospital was up for sale, which the government also denied, emphasizing ongoing investments in the hospital’s modernization. The Ministry of Health assured that the hospital would retain its original form and honor the legacy of Dr. Toma Ciorbă.

TV8  reports on organized transportation is being arranged in the Russian Federation to bring Moldovans to voting stations for the second round of presidential elections, with social media groups for Moldovans in Russia showing posts about flights and bus trips being planned. Organizers are covering travel costs to neighboring countries with voting stations, as well as flights to and from Chișinău. The police are investigating, suspecting that those transported will be paid to vote for a specific candidate. Announcements on Facebook and Telegram detail flights from Saint Petersburg to Istanbul and then by bus to Chișinău, and other flights to Baku and Minsk. The Central Electoral Commission has not reported any risks of election fraud abroad, but the police are taking measures to counter organized transport on election day, despite the challenges posed by Russia’s hybrid warfare against Moldova.

This newsletter is part of our ongoing work with the Bulgarian-Romanian Observatory of Digital Media, member of EDMO.