Iurie Leanca, PPEM’s candidate in presidential elections claims that his party is not funded by the oil company Ascom Group of the billionaire Anatol Stati. The former prime minister served as vice president of this company in 2007-2009. The politician spoke about this in the first edition of the series of debates with candidates in the presidential elections, released by the Center for Investigative Journalism on Monday, September 26.

"Unfortunately, Ascom is going through some very complicated situations, and is on trial with the Stockholm Court of Arbitration, and Iraq is a hot area with the so-called Islamic State. The situation is difficult. I would be honored and very happy if the company Ascom could help me with open donations on the party’s account. The situation is complicated because of these problems", said Iurie Leanca, when he asked whether billionaire Anatol Stati is backing him financially in the election campaign.

 Also, he denied the information revealed by journalists from RISE Moldova, that the magnate used fiscal schemes and more than 50 offshore companies to create his own oil infrastructure, including in Africa. Ascom Group has started petroleum operations on the African continent in 2005, when he signed the first contract with South Sudan, a region of Sudan which became independent in 2011. Leanca said that these were lies.

"Ascom Company acted like a UN mission in South Sudan: they demined bridges, built roads, cleaned up the riverbed of White Nile, brought doctors from Moldova and opened schools. They have invested a lot, with much effort but they did not find traces of hydrocarbons. Therefore, if you do not have any income-generating activity, how can you pay income? All information, including the famous letter of Voronin to Nazarbaev [Nursultan Nazarbaev, President of Kazakhstan that look, they do all kinds of actions detrimental to Sudan people, is nonsense and lies. I say it with full knowledge of facts. I was employee of the company when all these happened, that is why, I know very well the situation”, said Leanca.  

The former prime minister was asked to comment on the visit to Chisinau in 2012 of a Kurdish official who met with representatives of the Ascom Group. It was a private visit and Leanca served as Foreign Minister and described it as "in the interest of Moldova".

"Ascom entered the Kurdish region of Iraq in 2007, and prime minister of Kurdistan region visited Chisinau in 2012. Why in the interest of Moldova? Because Mr. Stati’s dream was to bring oil to Moldova –to produce oil  and gas there and find formulas to export it on market of Moldova, Romania etc. – and to contribute to creating energy security of the Republic of Moldova. It's a noble goal, which we welcome. Then, Stati wanted to bring gas at a fantastic price, under $ 100 per thousand cubic meters when the cost is over $ 300. Such visits are paid in the national interest of the country. Unfortunately, following the conflict with the Islamic State, the implementation of these plans is delayed", said the candidate for presidential elections.

Ascom Group is the largest oil company in Moldova, founded in 1994 by magnate Anatol Stati. The company has commercial operations in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Sudan. Iurie Leanca and Eugen Carpov, former deputy prime minister for reintegration, Anatol Salaru, current Minister of Defense worked for Ascom.