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Officially Confirmed by BC: Igor Ceaika is the Co-owner of Primul in Moldova and Accent TV Channels

18 February 2020
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Igor Chaika, son of Russia’s former Prosecutor General, is officially the co-owner of Primul in Moldova and Accent TV channels, according to the documents. The businessman owns 51% of the shares of the Russian company Media Invest Service, founder of Telesistem TV, that owns both channels. The other 49% of the shares are owned by Vadim Ciubara from the Republic of Moldova.
 
The data on the owners of both TV channels are available in the statements on the editorial policy for the election campaign during the new Parliamentary elections of March 15 in Hincesti municipality. The documents were recently published on the website of the Broadcasting Council (BC). The authority approved the statements during the public meeting on February 13.

The statements of Accent TV and Primul in Moldova, filed in on 3 January 2020, are signed by the Head of Telesistem TV, Stanislav Vijga, who is at the same time the Head of Mir-Moldova company, which broadcasts the channel Mir. On 9 January, the BC Chair, Dragos Vicol, stated for Free Europe that the authority had not been notified that Igor Ceaika was a shareholder of the TV channels.

According to the official data from Russia, Igor Chaika acquired on December 27, 2019 the control stock of the Media Invest Service Company. One day earlier, President Igor Dodon stated during the talk show ‘Puterea a partra’ [‘The Fourth Power’] broadcast by N4 channel that soon Primul in Moldova would have Russian owners. The leader of the Liberal Party, Dorin Chirtoaca, found that the message was suspicious and filed a request with the General Prosecutor’s Office,  asking to investigate how Ceaika acquired 51% of the company. Chirtoaca wanted to know what was the role of President Igor Dodon in the transaction. The GP did not yet come with a response.

Besides broadcasting, Media Invest Service manages the portals mail.ru, ok.ru in the Republic of Moldova through Media Contact.