Dodon

Suspense

ormer President of Moldova Igor Dodon (C) is escorted by law officers during the court hearing process in Chisinau, Moldova, 26 May 2022. Former President of Moldova Igor Dodon is accused of passive corruption, illegal party financing, betrayal of the homeland and illicit enrichment. EPA-EFE/DUMITRU DORU

The director of the Moldovan Intelligence and Security Service, SIS, Alexandru Esaulenco, resigned on Monday amid the detaining scandal regarding the former pro-Russian president, Igor Dodon, for corruption and high treason to Russia.

Pro-Russian former Moldovan President Igor Dodon was detained by prosecutors on Tuesday on four charges including corruption and treason.

Investigators searched Dodon's Chisinau home, his mother's house and a villa being built by the Dodon family by the Dniester River, seizing tens of thousands of euros in cash and half a million lei [25,000 euros], anti-graft prosecutors said.

Former pro-Russian president Igor Dodon quits as Socialist Party leader and flies to Moscow. Experts see his party's disintegration as unstoppable.

The 80-year-old former President and Soviet-era hangover is running again for office in the July elections - challenging pro-Western forces in tandem with his disciple-turned-rival, Igor Dodon.

Thousands of Moldovans rallied on Thursday in Chisinau in front of parliament to protest against the move by the Socialist Party and the outgoing President, Igor Dodon, to prevent the incoming president from running the Security and Information Service, SIS.

Tech War

A Romanian man passes in front of a shop window of an Orange store that displays a huge 5G advertisement banner, in Bucharest, Romania, 19 October 2020. Archive photo: EPA-EFE/ROBERT GHEMENT

President Igor Dodon and his Socialist Party colleagues have received favourable treatment on the main national television station in Moldova, Moldova 1, according to a study by the Centre for Independent Journalism in Moldova.

The study, conducted between March 9-15, monitored the main daily news bulletins as well as the most important political TV shows each day of the week.

Soon the pressure became too much for her to bear, and she decided to pack her bags and get the children out of the country quickly. "After 18 days, we left Moldova and went to America - Dallas," she said.

Seeking re-election, Igor Dodon is fanning the flames of dispute over the language Moldovans speak.