Profile updated: 16.11.2020
Renato Usatii
politician
politician
Date of Birth: 04.11.1978
Place of Birth: city of Falesti, Falesti district
Citizenship: Republic of Moldova
The career of Renato Usatii started as a supervisor at the Chisinau International Airport. It continued with the post of chief engineer at Moldova’s state-run railway company CFM. In 2004 Mr. Usatii moved to Moscow, the Russian capital. One year later he turned up as the managing director of VPT-NN, a limited liability in Nizhny Novgorod. Since 1995 this firm has been a business partner for the Russian state-owned railway corporation RJD, repairing its carriages and trackways, and shipping various equipment.
In 2012, Renato Usatii financed an expensive trip for then Prime Minister Vladimir Filat and his son to the Champions League final match. A RISE Moldova investigation has demonstrated that Mr. Usatii leased a private jet, booked seats in the VIP lodge in the Munich stadium, Germany, and paid for a luxury hotel room for the politician in the same city.
In 2013 Mr. Usatii publicly claimed that Alexandru Jizdan and Alexandru Pinzari, both senior police officers, had been his personal informants. The two later advanced in their careers at the Ministry of Interior Affairs.
Renato Usatii ran for a Parliament seat in the 2014 elections, on the list of Patria-Rodina, a Russia-backed political party, but a court rejected the party from the race one day before the vote, citing a complaint from the Central Election Commission regarding the use of foreign funds in the campaign by Patria-Rodina. Nonetheless, one year later Mr. Usatii won the seat of mayor in Balti - the second largest city in Moldova - capturing more than 70% of the ballot in the first round.
In 2016 the politician was indicted for fraud and attempt to assassinate German Gorbuntsov, a Russian banker with Moldovan nationality. Mr. Gorbuntsov, who survived the attack from a hitman in London, pointed to Renato Usatii as the beneficiary from his death. On the other side, the hitman, Vitalii Proca, who was meanwhile arrested in Romania for another contract killing, told Jurnal TV that in fact it was oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc who had asked for that favor. Mr. Plahotniuc was at that time the chairman of the Moldovan Democratic Party, a largely non-democratic group that ruled the country until summer 2019. Being hunted by prosecutors, Renato Usatii fled the country in order to hide in Moscow. The Moldovan authorities immediately put his name in the international manhunt list.
When the Democrats conceded defeat (and Plahotniuc ran away) and a new coalition took over power in Moldova in June 2019, Renato Usatii returned to Moldova. The very next autumn Mr. Usatii won the new election for the post of mayor in the same city. Just like the other time, he earned the largest share of voter confidence in the first round.
For the presidential elections of 1 November 2020, he was quick to get registered first at the Central Electoral Commission. He is the richest candidate running for president. Renato Usatii owns six houses, a garage, and three other buildings with a total value of about 14 million Russian rubles. He also owns or rents 18 land fields worth more than 40 million rubles and about 3,800 Moldovan lei. He also owns luxury watches worth 250,000 euros.
In 2012, Renato Usatii financed an expensive trip for then Prime Minister Vladimir Filat and his son to the Champions League final match. A RISE Moldova investigation has demonstrated that Mr. Usatii leased a private jet, booked seats in the VIP lodge in the Munich stadium, Germany, and paid for a luxury hotel room for the politician in the same city.
In 2013 Mr. Usatii publicly claimed that Alexandru Jizdan and Alexandru Pinzari, both senior police officers, had been his personal informants. The two later advanced in their careers at the Ministry of Interior Affairs.
Renato Usatii ran for a Parliament seat in the 2014 elections, on the list of Patria-Rodina, a Russia-backed political party, but a court rejected the party from the race one day before the vote, citing a complaint from the Central Election Commission regarding the use of foreign funds in the campaign by Patria-Rodina. Nonetheless, one year later Mr. Usatii won the seat of mayor in Balti - the second largest city in Moldova - capturing more than 70% of the ballot in the first round.
In 2016 the politician was indicted for fraud and attempt to assassinate German Gorbuntsov, a Russian banker with Moldovan nationality. Mr. Gorbuntsov, who survived the attack from a hitman in London, pointed to Renato Usatii as the beneficiary from his death. On the other side, the hitman, Vitalii Proca, who was meanwhile arrested in Romania for another contract killing, told Jurnal TV that in fact it was oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc who had asked for that favor. Mr. Plahotniuc was at that time the chairman of the Moldovan Democratic Party, a largely non-democratic group that ruled the country until summer 2019. Being hunted by prosecutors, Renato Usatii fled the country in order to hide in Moscow. The Moldovan authorities immediately put his name in the international manhunt list.
When the Democrats conceded defeat (and Plahotniuc ran away) and a new coalition took over power in Moldova in June 2019, Renato Usatii returned to Moldova. The very next autumn Mr. Usatii won the new election for the post of mayor in the same city. Just like the other time, he earned the largest share of voter confidence in the first round.
For the presidential elections of 1 November 2020, he was quick to get registered first at the Central Electoral Commission. He is the richest candidate running for president. Renato Usatii owns six houses, a garage, and three other buildings with a total value of about 14 million Russian rubles. He also owns or rents 18 land fields worth more than 40 million rubles and about 3,800 Moldovan lei. He also owns luxury watches worth 250,000 euros.
Political Affiliation
Private Function
Public Function
Career
11.2019
Balti City Hall
mayor
2015
Balti City Hall
2018
mayor
2005
ВПТ-НН OOO (Russian Federation)
2015
chairman
2002
IS Railway of Moldova
2004
senior engineer within the Food Plant
2000
Chisinau International Airport
2001
supervisor
2015
Our Party
chairman
Income
2019
Total: 21.735,83 MDL
21.690.000,00 RUB
2018
Total: 3.707.493,32 MDL
5.600.000,00 RUB
2016
Total: 48.180,01 MDL
2015
Total: 14.736,60 MDL
61.198.409,00 RUB
99.900,00 USD
2014
Total: 200.000,00 EUR
111.841.602,60 RUB
Real Estate
2017
House
Value: 1.134.103,00 RUB
Area: 60,8
Ownership: 100%
2017
House
Value: 1.246.711,00 RUB
Area: 71,1 mp
Ownership: 100%
2017
House
Value: 4.654.661,00 RUB
Area: 361,8 m.p
Ownership: 100%
2017
Other categoriesof land sites
Value: 10.540,00 RUB
Area: 3162 m.p
Ownership: 100%
Owner: possession
2017
Other real estate
Value: 11.031,00 RUB
Area: 7,9
Ownership: 100%
2017
Other real estate
Value: 89.247,00 RUB
Area: 64,2 mp
Ownership: 100%
2017
Other real estate
Value: 172.934,00 RUB
Area: 124,4
Ownership: 100%
2017
Urban land
Value: 236.794,00 RUB
Area: 536 m.p
Ownership: 100%
2017
Urban land
Value: 662.670,00 RUB
Area: 1500 m.p
Ownership: 100%
2017
Urban land
Value: 662.670,00 RUB
Area: 1500 m.p
Ownership: 100%
2017
Urban land
Value: 662.670,00 RUB
Area: 1500 m.p
Ownership: 100%
2017
Urban land
Value: 665.320,00 RUB
Area: 1506 m.p
Ownership: 100%
2017
Urban land
Value: 1.713.664,00 RUB
Area: 3879 m.p
Ownership: 100%
2017
Urban land
Value: 1.740.171,00 RUB
Area: 3939 m.p
Ownership: 100%
2017
Urban land
Value: 2.808.837,00 RUB
Area: 6538 m.p
Ownership: 100%
2017
Urban land
Value: 1.119,00 RUB
Area: 324 m.p
Ownership: 100%
Owner: possession
2017
Urban land
Value: 2.182,00 RUB
Area: 632 m.p
Ownership: 100%
Owner: possession
2017
Urban land
Value: 2.690,00 RUB
Area: 779 m.p
Ownership: 100%
Owner: possession
2017
Urban land
Value: 10.810,00 RUB
Area: 3130 m.p
Ownership: 100%
Owner: possession
2016
Urban land
Value: 3.797,00 MDL
Area: 0.3184 ha
Ownership: 100%
2015
House
Value: 1.521.113,00 RUB
Area: 88,2
Ownership: 100%
2011
Garage
Value: 543.687,00 RUB
Area: 216,1
Ownership: 100%
2011
House
Value: 1.784.042,00 RUB
Area: 545,9
Ownership: 100%
2011
House
Value: 4.681.428,00 RUB
Area: 340,3 mp
Ownership: 100%
2011
Urban land
Value: 6.903.926,00 RUB
Area: 1680 m.p
Ownership: 100%
2011
Urban land
Value: 7.314.874,00 RUB
Area: 1780 m.p
Ownership: 100%
2011
Urban land
Value: 8.301.149,00 RUB
Area: 2020 m.p
Ownership: 100%
2011
Urban land
Value: 8.342.244,00 RUB
Area: 2030 m.p
Ownership: 100%
Mobile Assets
2019
Car
Mercedes-Benz V 250 D 4Matic
Value: 150.000,00 EUR
2019
Car
Mercedes-Benz V 250 D 4Matic
Value: 7.219.420,40 MDL
2018 - 2019
Motorcycle
Harley Davidson FLHTCUTG
Value: 3.250.000,00 RUB
2018 - 2019
Car
Mercedes-Benz S500 4Matic Maybach
Value: 5.200.000,00 RUB
2018 - 2019
Car
Mercedes-Benz V 250 D 4Matic
Value: 5.600.000,00 RUB
2018 - 2019
Car
Mercedes-Benz AMG G63
Value: 16.300.000,00 RUB
2015 - 2019
Car
Toyota Highlander
Value: 2.794.000,00 RUB
2012
Car
Mercedes-Benz V 250 D 4Matic
Value: 30.000,00 EUR
2012
Car
Mercedes-Benz V 250 D 4Matic
Value: 70.000,00 EUR
Bank Accounts
Total: 6.500,42 EUR
1.128.202,17 RUB
4.957,41 USD
Documents
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Comunitate de jurnaliști, programatori și activiști.
Comunitate de jurnaliști, programatori și activiști.
Connections
Our Party
chairman
ВПТ-НН OOO (Russian Federation)
former chairman
„Renato Usatii” Foundation
founder