Promises of 15,000 lei for votes in parliamentary elections in a case of electoral corruption in Bălți.

In the context of the parliamentary elections on September 28, 2025, the accused Albu Radu, acting together with other individuals, members and supporters of the political party “Victoria,” participated, from May to September 2025, in the implementation of an organized scheme of electoral corruption in the municipality of Bălți.

He identified and contacted voters, offering them participation in party meetings and registration on a platform, promising them amounts of approximately 15,000 lei to vote in favor of the party led by Victoria Furtună. In July-August 2025, some voters received monetary transfers in Russian rubles, organized through indirect channels.

Other asset measures: Judicial expenses amounting to 2100 MDL

First instance: Conviction
Appeal: Granted, for other reasons, the lawyer's appeal for the annulment of the decision regarding the confiscation of the cars

Imprisonment with execution. Imprisonment: 51 months

The decision under review concerns an accusation of electoral corruption under Article 181¹ of the Criminal Code, charged against the defendant Albu Radu, consisting of the promise, offering, and transfer of monetary means to voters to influence their voting choice in the parliamentary elections on September 28, 2025.

The acts were committed within an organized scheme, where the defendant, as an active participant, contacted voters from the municipality of Bălți, registered them on a platform, and promised them amounts of approximately 15,000 lei for supporting a candidate, some of whom received transfers in Russian rubles.

The case was built on witness statements, material evidence, screenshots, and intercepted conversations, which confirmed the mechanism of influencing voters. Additionally, during the searches on September 23, 2025, illegal ammunition was found at the defendant's residence, which led to detention for the crime provided for in Article 290, paragraph (2) of the Criminal Code. The court of first instance found the defendant guilty of both crimes and established, through partial cumulation of penalties, a final sanction of 4 years and 3 months of imprisonment, with a monetary fine of 1350 conventional units and deprivation of the right to hold positions and engage in electoral activities for a period of 3 years. The appellate court modified the operative part of the sentence by annulling the special confiscation applied to certain vehicles, finding a lack of grounds for its application (lack of evidence proving that the presence of the vehicles in the possession or ownership of the convicted could pose a danger or that they could be used later to commit other crimes).