Gheorghe Cavcaliuc remains on the EU sanctions list, confirms Kaja Kallas
The former deputy head of the General Police Inspectorate and PACE leader, Gheorghe Cavcaliuc, was not removed from the European Union sanctions list. The information was confirmed by the Vice President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, during a press conference held in Chisinau. The reaction comes after Cavcaliuc announced, on the same day, that the EU had decided not to extend the political sanctions against him.
"*He was not removed from the sanctions list. The sanctions list remains in force, and it is clear that no changes have occurred. This demonstrates, once again, that this kind of disinformation comes from different sources, and we need to continue to provide support to combat this disinformation," said Kaja Kallas.
We remind you that in 2020, Gheorghe Cavcaliuc founded the "We Build Europe at Home" Party (PACE), with which he participated in the early parliamentary elections of 2021 and scored only 1.28% of the votes. Before the election, he left the Republic of Moldova and settled in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Cavcaliuc is targeted in several criminal cases in the Republic of Moldova. In February 2021, the Prosecutor General's Office initiated three cases for "exceeding official duties" during the period when he headed the IGP. He was later accused of "hooliganism" and "call to violence" in the "brilliant green" case, after members of PACE assaulted a local official. He is also being investigated in two cases initiated in 2018, regarding the staging of a rape and the illegal transportation of ammunition.
The former deputy head of the General Police Inspectorate of the Republic of Moldova is known for organizing and participating in the violent protests of October 20, 2022, together with Ilan Shor. He used his connections within the Police to recruit former police officers and created a paramilitary group to “protect” violent demonstrators;
In 2023, Moldovan authorities requested his extradition from the United Kingdom, accusing him of collaborating with Moscow to destabilise the pro-European government in Chisinau. Cavcaliuc denied the charges, claiming that he was the victim of “political persecution”.
Authorities in Chisinau have frozen the funds and economic resources owned by Gheorghe Cavcaliuc and other internationally sanctioned individuals. The decision was made by the Interinstitutional Supervisory Council, led by Prime Minister Dorin Recean.
Gheorghe Cavcaliuc is included on international sanctions lists, being targeted by restrictive measures in the US, Canada, the EU, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.
