Candidate "with russian background" in Bălți: Socialists are no longer considering ex-minister Voicu

Viorica Mija
19/09/2023

Although it was previously rumored that PSRM was preparing former minister Pavel Voicu to propose him as a candidate for the position of mayor of Bălți, things have taken a different turn. Maxim Moroshan, the leader of the "I am from Bălți" Association, who was elected as the president of the Bălți territorial organization of the Socialist Party in July, will also compete for the mayor's seat from the same party. Pavel Voicu is on the list for the Balti Municipal Council. Anticoroptie.md has revealed that the organization led by Moroshan has a convoluted background, with individuals strongly influenced by Russian propaganda in leadership roles. Most often, the path of charitable expenses leads to the IFAVIS Association, led by Grigore Caramalac, also known as the Bulgar, a refugee in Moscow, and included in the EU's list of sanctioned individuals. Furthermore, a cross-border scheme of "Russian kindness" is also being implemented in Ukrainian territories illegally annexed by the Russian Federation. In the role of philanthropists, we also find the two individuals, both Russian citizens with proper documentation and flourishing businesses in the capital of the Russian Federation, but who are deeply interested in the events taking place in the Republic of Moldova, their country of origin, and in Ukraine.

Maxim Moroshan came into the public eye after several controversial actions in the city of Bălți. He is originally from the Republic of Moldova but spent an extended period in the Russian Federation, holding valid citizenship documents. For several years, he entertained Moscow residents, working as an entertainer under the stage name Максим Бельский (Maxim Belskii). His profile is still active on the website www.acomodasi.ru. As a result, he ended up participating in several events organized by the security institutions of the Russian Federation, with the diplomas and medals he received, serving as evidence of his close ties to them. With friends in high positions of power, Moroshan managed to transition from his previous profession, which earned him a living, to developing his own business in the automotive servicing industry.

In 2013, the ""I am from Bălți"  Association was established. While Maxim Moroshan is the face and leader of the association, he has never served as its administrator. Different individuals have been officially listed in the documents over time, and currently, the president of the association is boxer Dmitri Galagoț. The athlete took over leadership in June 2022, following the resignation of Mihail Ahremtsev, a politician with radical pro-Russian views from the northern capital, who was the president of the "Ours" party. In 2020, he burned a map of Greater Romania just before the visit of Romanian President Klaus Iohannis to Chisinau.

In 2020, Moroshan became the president of the Union of Moldovan and Russian Entrepreneurs, which is headquartered in the historic center of Moscow. Since then, his visits to his homeland have become more frequent. The initial actions carried out in the Republic of Moldova focused on the field of sports. Under the "umbrella" of the Union, several pieces of equipment were provided free of charge to sports schools in Bălți, Drochia, and Călăraşi. However, the evidence suggests that the donations actually have another source, namely the IFAVIS Foundation led by the "thief in law," Grigorii Caramalac, with whom Moroshan has established connections.

IFAVIS appears as a sponsor of sports clubs and charitable events not only in the Republic of Moldova but also in Ukraine. In the neighboring country, the contact person is Irina Andruh, and the association she leads, "Мир Лугансчине" (Peace for Luhansk Region), boasts more than 100,000 members, according to information on its official website. The association was founded in 2014, following the illegal annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.

Furthermore, Caramalac and Moroshan organize most of these supposedly charitable or sports-patriotic actions in Ukraine. Russian media outlets are full of reports from such events, during which generous donations are made. However, the ultimate goal of these "investments" is somewhat obscure. These events aim to instill in the recipients the idea of the "goodness of the russian world," despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Viorica Mija
19/09/2023




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