Former Moldovan PM to be kept under further custodial interrogation

Chisinau, 17 February /MOLDPRES/-Judges of Buiucani court of the Chisinau municipality today ruled against the non-custodial investigation request submitted by the lawyers of former Prime Minister Vlad Filat. A statement to this effect was made by Liberal Democrat MP Tudor Deliu today.

During today’s meeting, Vlad Filat’s lawyer required that the former prime minister be investigated while free, documents annexed to the file be translated from English and the accusations against Filat be explained.

At the same time, Prosecutor Adriana Betisor said “the documents annexed to the file had already been translated and did not know why lawyers came up with such a request”.

Attending the court trial were more Liberal Democrat MPs, including the deputy head of the Liberal Democratic Party (PLDM), Tudor Deliu, who says the case against the former prime minister was filed on political grounds.

“We held a meeting with the lawyers of Vlad Filat. They told us that the file did not include information able to prove Filat’s guilt. There are vague allegations, without material deeds. Prosecutors make groundless accusations, therefore, we believe lawyers will help Vlad Filat's case get investigated while free,” Deliu said.

“Though MPs have the right to enter the penitentiary, our request to talk to Vlad Filat was rejected for various reasons. We were told that we may meet any other detainee, except for Vlad Filat,” Deliu added.

Vlad Filat was arrested on 15 October 2015, based on an arrest warrant issued by the National Anticorruption Centre, after being stripped of immunity by the parliament.

Buiucani court of the Chisinau municipality issued a 30-day preventive arrest warrant for Vlad Filat on 18 October 2015, prolonging it by 30 more days on 11 November and 10 December. The same court decided to prolong the arrest warrant by 90 more days on 5 January 2016.

(Reporter A. Plitoc, Editor A. Raileanu)