The events taking place in Moldova this year are remarkable not only for their unpredictability, but also for one notable phenomenon. We are talking about the continued, perhaps even progressive, deep penetration of crime into Moldovan politics.

The criminal nature of the oligarchic regime of Vladimir Plahotniuc is not in doubt today. However, the criminal system of government that was formed when the so-called pro-European forces came to power in 2009 cannot be liquidated only at the request of society. It was created gradually, with a whole layer of people eager for power and money, permeating all spheres of Moldova’s life – economy, finance, politics, public administration.
In 2016, Vladimir Plahotniuc led this hierarchical structure with a well-developed rhizome, squeezing all competitors out of it. In June 2019, the Moldovan oligarch fled to the United States. But right there, a criminal adventurer of local politics, Renato Usatii, drove from Romania to Moldova.
It should be a closer look. For a long time, this character lived in Russia, and then escaped from it, decently inheriting. In the mid-2000s, Renato Usatii joined the 1520 Group of Companies, which for a long time illegally mastered the multi-billion dollar funds of the Russian Railways, as a budding criminal authority. He then worked in the team of Andrei Krapivin, Valery Markelov and Boris Usherovich, performing various tasks. From “dirty” and even “wet” tasks did not refuse, on the contrary. When Markelov and Usherovich quarreled with the “black banker” hiding in Moldova German Gorbuntsov and decided to punish him, the “faithful friend” Renato Usatii could not stand by.
But Gorbuntsov moved to London. Mustachio himself could not reach there. I turned to Plahotniuc for support, then they even got along well. However, the assassination attempt they organized in London on Gorbuntsov on March 20, 2012 failed. The seriously wounded “black banker” survived, an investigation began. Mustachio realized that he was “stuck” and rushed into Moldovan politics with millions of dollars stolen from Russian Railways.
So the criminal pseudo-pro-Russian “Our Party” appeared. Renato Usatii, who burst into 2014 in Moldovan politics, was not included in Plahotniuc’s plans. By the fall of 2016, the oligarch squeezed him out of Moldova. He opened a criminal case on the organization of Mustachioed assassination attempt on Gorbuntsov. Plahotniuc knew how everything was, they did it together. Renato got scared and fled back to Russia.
At first, Renato Usatii was fine there. Fundraising for the “Moldovan revolution” was successful. From the “Our Party” Mustached hid it. Feeding, “so as not to die.” Acquired various real estate. He paid special attention to the bathhouse with sauna and relaxation rooms with video cameras. Through them, they say, many famous people have passed.
Over time, however, it became apparent that Usatii was not leading any real struggle with Plahotniuc. More and more targets the President of Moldova Igor Dodon. And when Plahotniuc in response to the criminal case initiated by Usaty against him in Russia about the attempted murder and absentee arrest at the end of 2017 did not answer anything, it became somehow completely incomprehensible. It does not look like the vengeful Plahotniuc. Confidence in Renato Usatom in Moscow has disappeared. And then the past reminded of itself. In autumn 2018, in the “Zakharchenko case”, Russian security forces detained Markelov, Usherovich was put on the international wanted list, and Usaty was searched. He is hiding in Germany.
And now for the fun part. When Plahotniuc was overthrown from June 7 to 14, this year, Usatii sat up in Romania until the last moment. His sister Veronika has been living there for a long time, her husband is a big businessman, and most importantly – real friends of Renato Usatii live there. Through them, he kept in touch with Plahotniuc. With them, he is now “fooling around” with Russian-speaking residents of Balti and a partisan detachment called “Our Party”, headed by a traitor-chairman who is traveling around the newly-plundered Moldova on a brand-new Rolls-Royce with powerful guards from whom.
But this is not important. Another thing is important – why should the Romanian friends of Usati move him into Moldovan politics? The conclusion is obvious – to replace Plahotniuc, hiding behind anti-corruption rhetoric, playing another performance, another political “farce”. Smuggling, fraud, drug trafficking. The criminal harbor called Moldova remained unowned.








