Alleged electoral corruption committed by Velev Valentin

In the context of the presidential elections and the constitutional referendum on October 20, 2024, Valentin Velev participated in mobilization and electoral influence activities in favor of the political bloc "Victory".

Between September and October 2024, he allegedly participated in meetings organized by the political formation and provided 3,000 lei to some residents of Cahul district – Dobrescu Iurii, Iacobciuc Iulia, and Nikiforenko Liudmila – in order to encourage them to exercise their voting rights in favor of the candidate supported by the political bloc "Victory" in the presidential elections.

First court: Conviction

The ruling concerns the conviction of Valentin Velev for electoral corruption, as provided by art. 181¹ para. (1) of the Criminal Code. According to the findings of the court, in the context of the presidential elections and the referendum on October 20, 2024, he offered 3,000 lei to some voters from the Cahul district to persuade them to vote in favor of the candidate supported by the political bloc "Victory".

The prosecution mainly relied on the statements of witnesses given during the criminal investigation phase, on the statements made during confrontations, and on the items seized during the search conducted at the defendant's home. Although the witnesses changed their statements in court, the judge attributed a higher evidentiary value to the initial statements, considering that they corroborated with the other evidence presented.

The court found the defendant guilty and imposed a monetary fine of 45,000 lei (900 conventional units). In individualizing the punishment, the court took into account the minor severity of the offense, the absence of aggravating circumstances, and the fact that the defendant's criminal record was extinguished, without applying confiscation measures.