The former pro-Russian president of Moldova, Igor Dodon, was placed in police custody on Tuesday May 24, suspected of treason and corruption, announced the prosecution of this country where the friction between pro-Westerns and pro-Russians has increased with the conflict in Ukraine.
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“Igor Dodon was arrested Tuesday morning for 72 hours. He is being held in the remand center of the National Center for the Fight against Corruption.“, announced the spokeswoman for the office of the attorney general Mariana Chiorpec.
Searches in progress
She added that searches were underway in a dozen places, offices linked to the ex-leader and his home in Chisinau, the capital of the former Soviet republic. He is being targeted as part of an investigation for “state treason», «passive bribery», «financing of a political party by a criminal organization” and “illegal enrichment“.
Investigators suspect Igor Dodon of having received money in 2019 from a political ally and sulphurous oligarch, Vlad Plahotniuc, who has since gone into exile and is the subject of American sanctions. Igor Dodon presided over Moldova from 2016 to 2020, and was openly backed by Moscow.
Pro-Russian and pro-Western alternation
A predominantly Romanian-speaking country but with a large Russian-speaking minority, power regularly passes from pro-Russian to pro-Western, fueling repeated political crises. After multiple scandals that smeared Igor Dodon, against a backdrop of corruption and endemic poverty, the pro-European Maïa Sandu won the presidential and legislative elections in quick succession in 2020 and 2021, firmly anchoring her power.
Since the Russian offensive against Ukraine, Chisinau has shown strong support for kyiv. It hosts war refugees, has submitted an application for EU membership and obtained the European promise of a significant increase in military aid.
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Because Moldova, which is home to Transnistria, a pro-Russian separatist territory bordering Ukraine, fears that Moscow could choose it as a target. Especially since the secessionist region said it was targeted in April by fire from Ukraine. The Russian authorities have expressed very virulent criticism of Moldova.
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