Who is Ilan Shor, the oligarch at the center of Moldova’s election meddling allegations – Firstpost

Ilan Shor, a controversial oligarch born in Israel and raised in Moldova, has become a central figure in the allegations of Russian interference in Moldova’s political landscape.

His connections to a multibillion-dollar fraud and allegations of election meddling have made him a key player in Moldova’s ongoing struggle between European integration and Russian influence.

Who is Ilan Shor?

Ilan Shor was born on March 6, 1987 in Tel Aviv, Israel, but his family moved to Moldova in the 1990s. His father, Miron Shor, was a prominent businessman with interests in duty-free retail and other sectors.

After his father’s death in 2005, Shor, then just 18 years old, inherited the family business, ShorHolding, and quickly expanded its operations. He acquired assets such as TV channels, an insurance company and the Moldovan football club FC Milsami Orhei.

Shor’s rise in Moldovan business circles laid the groundwork for his eventual involvement in politics. However, his ambitions would soon be overshadowed by one of the biggest financial scandals in Moldova’s history: the theft of $1 billion from the country’s banking system in 2014, a case that would forever change his public image.

Why is Ilan Shor infamous?

In 2014, Moldova’s banking system was rocked by what is now known as the “heist of the century.” Shor, who was the president of Banca de Economii, was heavily implicated in the embezzlement of $1 billion, roughly 12 percent of Moldova’s GDP, from three Moldovan banks.

Shor’s involvement in this scandal led to his conviction in June 2017, when he received a 7.5-year prison sentence for fraud. Despite this conviction, Shor managed to avoid serving his sentence, remaining under house arrest pending appeal.

In 2019, Shor fled to Israel while still under house arrest, evading justice in Moldova. Media reports indicate that Shor now resides in Russia, where he is said to have obtained citizenship in 2023.

Meanwhile, in 2023, a Moldovan appeals court doubled his sentence in absentia, increasing his prison term to 15 years and freezing all his assets.

What is Ilan Shor’s role in Moldova?

Despite his criminal record, Shor’s political influence grew in Moldova. In 2015 he was elected mayor of the small town of Orhei, located about 40 kilometers from the capital of Moldova, Chisinau.

Surprisingly, the bank fraud scandal did little to affect his local popularity, and Shor continued to climb the political ladder.

In 2019, Shor was elected to the Parliament of Moldova, and was re-elected in 2021, although he never attended parliamentary sessions. His popularity remained significant, regularly placing him among the top four politicians in Moldova, according to opinion polls.

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However, in 2023, Shor’s political fortunes suffered a sharp decline when his party was banned for alleged “malign influence campaigns” aimed at supporting Russian interests.

The government of Moldovan President Maia Sandu cracked down on Shor, accusing him of orchestrating efforts to undermine Moldova’s pro-European track record.

What are the current allegations against Ilan Shor?

Shor’s most recent controversies stem from allegations of election interference. Moldova’s Security and Intelligence Service (SIS) has accused Shor of playing a key role in Russian-backed efforts to derail Moldova’s European Union (EU) integration.

These efforts, according to Moldovan authorities, began in earnest in mid-2022 and involved channeling 1 billion Moldovan lei ($56.4 million) into the country to sway public opinion in favor of political forces pro-russians

In the run-up to the 2023 local elections, the Moldovan government banned Shor’s newly formed Chance Party from participating due to national security concerns. Authorities claimed the party had received undeclared foreign funds to bribe voters and manipulate public opinion.

Anti-corruption prosecutors in Moldova also revealed that more than $15 million in Russian funds had been funneled into the accounts of more than 130,000 Moldovan citizens.

These accusations have been fiercely denied by Shor, who continues to portray himself as a victim of political persecution. He has used social media platforms, particularly Telegram, to rally support against Moldova’s EU aspirations and to criticize Sandu’s leadership.

“For four years, we have followed the path of so-called European integration. Sandu, where are the results? In the face of high inflation, wages remain shamefully low and pensions meager,” Shor said in July this year.

Where is Moldova in its struggle for European integration?

Moldova’s path to EU membership has been fraught with obstacles, Russian interference being one of the most significant.

A referendum and presidential election were held on Sunday, both of which have been clouded by allegations of Russian-backed interference. A slim majority of 50.46 percent of Moldovans voted to join the EU, a result celebrated by pro-European forces but marred by allegations of vote-buying and manipulation.

Sandu denounced foreign interference, stating: “Criminal groups…we have attacked our country with tens of millions of euros, lies and propaganda, using the most shameful means to keep our citizens and our nation trapped in uncertainty and instability”.

The Kremlin, however, denied any involvement and challenged Sandu to produce evidence of alleged interference. “Present the evidence,” a Kremlin spokesman said in response.

International observers, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), confirmed that the election campaigns were significantly affected by foreign interference and disinformation.

John Kirby, the White House national security spokesman, echoed those concerns, saying: “Russia was not successful, as the results show. Moldovan democracy is strong.”

With contributions from agencies