The pro-Russian oligarch Ilan Șor has committed to paying voters to vote „no” in the referendum on joining the European Union.
In addition to the presidential elections on October 20, voters will also participate in a referendum on amending the Constitution to allow Moldova, one of the poorest countries in Europe, to push for EU membership, according to Reuters.
The most vocal opponent of EU accession, the pro-Russian businessman Ilan Șor, offered in a post published over the weekend on Telegram to pay voters the equivalent of 29 dollars (approximately 26 euros) if they join his campaign.
He also mentioned that voters would receive even larger rewards if they voted "no" in the referendum.
Şor was sentenced last year to 15 years in prison in absentia for his role in the disappearance of a billion dollars from the banking system of the Republic of Moldova. Exiled in Russia, he now leads the electoral bloc "Victoria," which has been banned from participating in the campaign.
The Minister of Infrastructure, Andrei Spînu, stated that opponents of President Maia Sandu's EU campaign "are using money to buy votes and people." "They are using propaganda to spread lies about the European Union and to scare people with all sorts of stories," he wrote on Telegram. "Let's not believe thieves, fugitives, and bandits."
Maia Sandu, who denounces Russia's invasion of Ukraine and considers Moscow one of the biggest threats facing Moldova, told voters in a speech on Saturday to be wary of fraud.
"Liars are trying to intimidate us and force us to make decisions other than the ones we want," she said. "We must not let them decide our fate."