Moldovan police confirmed on September 16 that several television stations affiliated with fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor’s group and linked to a Russian oil company, independently identified by Deschide as being Lukoil, are under investigation for alleged tax evasion and money laundering used to finance pro-Russian propaganda. The media group was allegedly directly involved in coordinated disinformation operations.

The law enforcement bodies have intensified their operations against pro-Russian propaganda and vote-buying schemes conducted by fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor to benefit pro-Russian candidates ahead of the September 28 parliamentary elections.

“On September 16, officers of the National Investigation Inspectorate … launched a series of searches in a criminal case initiated for tax evasion and money laundering,” a statement from the Moldovan police said. 

“The investigations targeted the criminal organisation ‘Shor’, and during the special measures taken by law enforcement officers, the financing network with which it operated was established.” 

Viorel Verăuțeanu, head of the General Inspectorate of Police, told Romanian public broadcaster TVR that an oil company had been involved in laundering money through fictitious contracts to fund a media holding disseminating disinformation. Deschide later identified the company as Lukoil.

“We documented fictitious contracts involving large economic agents. An oil company from the Republic of Moldova was involved in laundering money through fictitious contracts to finance a media holding for disinformation and pro-Russian propaganda,” Verăuțeanu said.

Police reported that one of the companies receiving illicit funding was part of a criminal organisation managing media services to spread propaganda.

Investigators uncovered a wider money laundering network organised through a construction firm with foreign employees, which carried out fictitious transactions with the oil company. According to police, managers of the construction company deliberately falsified accounting and tax documents, recording fuel and service purchases that never occurred.

During searches, officers seized accounting records, computer equipment, draft documents, and cash worth about MDL5mn (€250,000). A quantity of a green substance suspected to be drugs was also discovered at the home of a media group administrator and will undergo testing.

Authorities detained the intermediary accused of funnelling the illicit funds. He was identified as former police officer Ion Perju, convicted in 2015 for the 2009 killing of protester Valeriu Boboc and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Law enforcement officials stated that investigations remain ongoing to establish the involvement of additional individuals in the scheme.