Smirnovs “leashed” Entire Transnistrian Region, a Romanian Newspaper Claims

The family of the separatist leader of the so-called Transnistrian republic, Igor Smirnov, has practically got under control this region, with family members seizing almost all economy sectors, and the political class is subdued 100%, Romanian newspaper Averea claims.

The information is based on researches made by reporters who visited Transnistria, the newspaper said.

One of the two sons of Tiraspol’s leader has under his personal and exclusive control the customs, the other has control over the Sheriff group, monopolising the range of luxury markets and fuel stations in across the enclave.

Given the conditions that the average monthly salary is some 35 dollars, but the social security system do not exist in the region, the Smirnov clan has earned a huge fortune, the writer underlined.

Thus, the Smirnovs built a sportive mega-complex estimated to 500 million dollars, a megalomaniac project, similar to the People’s House in Bucharest, a Nicolae Ceaushescu „foundation”.

“The sport compound Sheriff, at the outskirts of Tiraspol, looks like a diamond in a cesspool”, the writer said. Beside the five star compound where the Smirnov clan "injected" so far a big deal of money, Transnistria is sinking into poverty.

Tiraspol separatist leaders and their families had been accused by the Moldovan and international media, and also by politicians, of dubious businesses and money laundering. Transnistria is considered by many persons as “Europe’s black hole”, where the regime is kept by drug-dealers, human and arms traffickers.