Part of this, they say, was ferried in by “mules” on flights between Moscow and Moldova, often via Armenia. (Mr. Shor for a time controlled Air Moldova, the country’s now-insolvent national carrier.) They also uncovered hundreds of prepaid debit cards issued by a bank in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, and large transfers from Russia to Moldova through an informal network. Mr. Tarnavsky said that he did not know the origin of the money used to support Ms. Gutsul’s election campaign, but added that Mr. Shor “is not a philanthropist,” so it was unlikely that he used his own cash to fund road or other projects that she had promised. These include “Gagauzland,” a theme park celebrating Gagauz culture that is supposed to open next year near Comrat.

---

Persons: Shor, Gutsul’s, —, Tarnavsky, Shor “ Organizations: Air Moldova, United Arab Locations: Moldova, Russia, Moscow, Armenia, Chisinau, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Comrat