#Europeanelections2019/Internal Affairs Ministry: 11 sanctions issued, 2,900 lei worth of fines imposed since voting start

Since the start of the voting process this Sunday, Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI) staff have imposed 11 sanctions - six warnings and five fines worth a combined 2,900 lei, Ministry spokesperson Monica Dajbog announced. Police are currently investigating six offenses. "There haven's been any special public order incidents in the six hours since the start of the voting process. Up until now, MAI staff have conducted checks into 48 complaints regarding vote-related crimes and offenses; 23 thereof have not been confirmed," Dajbog said. The MAI spokesperson mentioned that in the Ciocanesti commune - Dambovita County, there has been a complaint about several members of a political party transporting voters to the polling stations, but following investigations this turned out to be a false alarm. "Constanta police were informed about a woman attempting to introduce several ballot papers into the ballot box. A criminal investigation file was drawn up. In Targoviste city, a citizen filed a complaint for being hindered by the president of the polling station to exercise his right to vote. Police drew a criminal file in this case, for preventing the exercise of electoral rights. A similar case in Brasov is also being investigated," Dajbog said. She specified that voting at the Jilava Penitentiary was temporarily interrupted for yet another check into whether the persons who expressed their intention to vote are not subject to final court rulings banning them from voting. "Investigations are underway in Braila and in Bucharest after two voters complained that they had been handed already stamped ballot papers. Targoviste police were informed by the president of a polling station that two young people had told him they had been allegedly offered money to vote. A criminal file for voter corrupting was drawn in this case. During the hearing, the youth said this had actually been a joke," Monica Dajbog informed. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Alexandru Florea, editor: Claudia Stanescu; EN - author: Simona Klodnischi, editor: Adina Panaitescu)