Moldovan president accuses Russia of 'buying' voters in local election

CHISINAU (Reuters) - Moldova's pro-European president, Maia Sandu, accused Russia on Wednesday of "buying" voters in this weekend's local elections by funnelling money to pro-Moscow political parties.

Sandu, who has denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine and accused Russia of trying to oust her in a coup, said Moscow had channelled 90 million Moldovan lei (about $4.9 million) in two months in financing for "criminal groups". These include a banned party led by fugitive businessman Ilan Shor.

"Russia previously bought those people who were running Moldova," Sandu said in an interview with Jurnal TV, referring to corruption scandals in the ex-Soviet state before her 2020 landslide election.

"It no longer has that possibility. Now it is buying Moldovan citizens. The Kremlin uses various categories of people ... There are people who work for the Kremlin and they are going to Moscow to fetch money."

Russian officials could not immediately be reached for comment on Sandu's allegations.

Moldovans vote on Sunday in elections seen as a barometer of her drive to press for European Union membership for the country lying between Ukraine and EU member Romania.

In the run-up to the election, Moldova has blocked access to major Russian-language news sites. Russia has denounced the move as a bid to deny Moldovans access to alternative views and accused the president of whipping up anti-Russian feeling.

Shor, jailed earlier this year for his role in a $1 billion dollar corruption scandal, has organised demonstrations from exile in Israel calling for the dismissal of Sandu's government.

His party has been declared illegal by Moldova's Constitutional Court and several of its candidates barred from running.

(Reporting by Alexander Tanas, Editing by Ron Popeski and Grant McCool)