Lozovan Irina - Scheme of illegal financing of the 'RENAISSANCE' Party through means obtained from the organized criminal group led by Ilan Shor for recruiting local elected officials before the local elections in 2023.

In the period from March to August 2023, deputy Lozovan Irina and her husband, Gîrleanu Pavel, acted to attract the mayor of the city of Ocnița, Victor Artamaniuc, to the Party “RENAISSANCE”, offering him significant sums of money derived from the illegal financing of the party by the organized criminal group led by Ilan Șor.

According to the court, the defendants promised financial rewards of up to 50,000 USD and funding for local infrastructure, conditioning political affiliation and public announcement regarding the change of political allegiance. On August 2, 2023, Gîrleanu Pavel handed Artamaniuc the sum of 30,000 USD in the parking lot of the “Metro 1” store in Chișinău.

The court found that the defendants knowingly accepted the illegal financing of the Party “RENAISSANCE” from an organized criminal group.

Other property measures: Confiscation of two HP notebooks; joint recovery of 7,280 lei in legal expenses; asset seizure maintained over 10,000 lei.

First instance: Conviction
Appeal: The appeals were dismissed as unfounded, and the sentence was upheld in full

Imprisonment with execution. Imprisonment: 72 months

The case represents one of the most important convictions regarding the illegal financing of political parties after the declaration of unconstitutionality of the "Șor" Party. According to the rulings, the scheme involved convincing mayors and local councilors to join the "RENAȘTERE" Party in exchange for financial benefits. In the case of the mayor of the city of Ocnița, Victor Artamaniuc, the defendants allegedly promised significant funding for him and for local projects, and on August 2, 2023, Gîrleanu Pavel effectively transferred the amount of 30,000 USD in a sting operation organized by the CNA.

The defense invoked the provocation of the crime and the case law of the ECtHR regarding entrapment, but the courts found that the actions of law enforcement had the character of documenting an already existing criminal activity, and the evidence presented – interceptions, statements, the sting operation, and the seizure of money – form a sufficient and coherent body of evidence. The case is relevant due to the application of effective sentences of imprisonment, the confiscation of 30,000 USD, and the confirmation on appeal of the conviction, strengthening the practice of combating the illegal financing of political parties and the political corruption of local elected officials.