Vitalie Cusnir, the Head of the chain of social shops “Merisor” maintains that the PAS authorities “are deliberately putting pressure on their work by closing mobile truck shops that bring products at reduced prices to villages where the poorest population of the republic lives.”

He said at a press conference at INFOTAG on Tuesday that the authorities are conducting numerous, unmotivated checks via the police and the National Food Safety Agency (ANSA). Since July 11 alone, 170 checks have already been carried out and fines of 60 thousand lei have been imposed.

Cusnir reminded that a network of more than 100 social shops had paid 26 million lei in taxes in 2022, and already 27 million lei in the first eight months of this year. According to him, the work of 25 out of 87 mobile shops is blocked.

Lawyer Aureliu Colenco called "unacceptable" what is happening in relation to the Merisor network.

“What the network does is not earning dividends for Ilan Sor, but bringing benefit and obvious salvation for the rural poor. A group of lawyers carefully registers all cases of so-called inspections and will challenge their legitimacy in the courts. For each search “on an anonymous call”, the perpetrators and those who gave orders will have to bear responsibility, including criminal liability. We are preparing a complaint to the Prosecutor General's Office about the legality of the actions by law enforcers. If necessary, we will reach the European Court of Human Rights,” Colenco promised.