Voter data collected for transfers intended to influence voting in the referendum

In the period from August to September 2024, the defendant, acting in concert with other unidentified persons, collected the identity data of a voter and transmitted it to third parties, thus facilitating the transfer of financial means through the “PSB Bank” system (two tranches of 15,000 Russian rubles each). The amount was to be used for the purpose of persuading the voter to vote “against” in the constitutional referendum on October 20, 2024.

Other property measures: Recovery of judicial costs in the amount of 3,640 lei (expertise cost)

First court: Conviction

The decision under review concerns an accusation of electoral corruption under Article 181¹ of the Criminal Code, attributed to the defendant Slegtina Svetlana, as the author, consisting of facilitating the transfer of financial means to voters through intermediaries and international transfer systems.

The alleged act took place in the context of the constitutional referendum on October 20, 2024, and aimed at persuading the voter to vote in a certain way (“against”). The case was built on witness statements, including from the person benefiting from the transfer, as well as on material evidence (messages, phones, banking applications, lists of individuals). The peculiarity of the case lies in the use of indirect transfer mechanisms (PSB Bank, intermediaries) and the existence of contradictions in the witnesses' statements, including regarding the number of transfers and the exact role of the defendant.

The court found that the actions of the defendant meet both the method of “offering” and that of “giving” benefits, even if the actual transfer was carried out through other persons. The case is relevant for judicial practice in the field of transnational electoral corruption and the use of external financial infrastructures to influence the electoral process.