Moldovan prosecutors carry out criminal investigation on cases of mercenary activity in Ukraine

Chisinau, 11 February /MOLDPRES/ - The Prosecutor General’s Office (PG)  today informed that, over the last months, six criminal files had been opened on the mercenary activity, with ten persons detained and investigated.   

The acting prosecutor of the Chisinau municipality, Igor Popa, told a news conference that the mercenary activity “is a new phenomenon for Moldova and a dangerous one for the country’s national security.”

“The persons who have been detained are aged between 26 and 32 years, are coming from the southern region (Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia, Basarabeasca, Cimislia), are mostly speaking the Russian language and have combat aptitudes. During investigations, prosecutors found out that some of them participated in the armed conflict from south-eastern Ukraine in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Operative data shows that another ten Moldovans have been fighting in these settlements so far. We do not rule out the fact that some of them were wounded and the other died during the conflict,” Popa said.

Also, the prosecutor specified that some of the defendants had actively participated in protests outside the PG building on 6 September 2015. They were also involved in other protest actions held in the centre of Chisinau on the last period.   

Law-enforcers found at the suspects documents proving their affiliation to military units from Donetsk and Luhansk, uniforms and military registration cards, as well as mobile phones. One of the detained individuals was dealing with luring persons, and another one was providing financial support. They were put into irons at the Chisinau International Airport while trying to leave or enter Moldova.   

During hearings, the suspects recognized that they had been promised up to 40,000 Russian roubles (about 500 dollars) per month or even 3,000 dollars, to fight in eastern Ukraine. The Chisinau prosecutor also said “the Kiev authorities promised that they would provide their Chisinau colleagues with a list with the names of the Moldovans who would fight in Donetsk and Luhansk on the side of the insurgents.”    

So far, two persons have been sentenced to three years of imprisonment each for mercenary activities, with the court due to give its rulings on the other cases.

(Reporter P. Beregoi, editor A. Raileanu)