Former leader of Moldovan Democratic Party does not come court hearing in Kuliok file; court rules to forcibly bring him

The former leader of the Moldovan Democratic Party (PDM), Vladimir Plahotniuc, today did not come to court hearing, where he was supposed to testify in the Kuliok file, in which the former president of Moldova, Igor Dodon, is the defendant and who was also absent. The court ruled that Plahotniuc will be brought in under escort on February 17.

The former PDM leader sent a request to the judges, arguing that, on February 12, he will be heard in the case in which he is a defendant and needs to prepare, which is why he did not attend today’s hearing. Plahotniuc said that he would be available to appear in two to three weeks.

At the judges’ request, the prosecution noted that it maintains its request to hear Plahotniuc, and the court decided to order his forced appearance on February 17.

The Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) accepted the hearing of 36 witnesses out of the 62 proposed by former President Igor Dodon in the Kuliok case, in which he is being tried for bribery. Previously, the SCJ also accepted the hearing of 11 witnesses proposed by prosecutors, including former Democrat Vlad Plahotniuc, Serghei Iaralov, former parliament speaker Adrian Candu, former prime minister Pavel Filip, former justice minister Vladimir Cebotari and an MP of the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), Lilian Carp.

Thus, among the defense witnesses in this case, there are: Ion Ceban, Artur Gumeniuc, Maxim Lebedinschi, Vasile Sova, Aureliu Ciocoi, Adrian Lebedinschi, Petru Burduja, Ghenadie Mitriuc, Zinaida Greceanii, Vlad Batrincea, Corneliu Furculita, Vladimir Turcan, Gaic Vartanean, Grigore Uzun and Pavel Voicu.

Previously, Igor Dodon pleaded not guilty and reiterated that the footage in which he appears had been allegedly fabricated.

The Kuliok file was resumed at the end of November 2025, after the panel of judges was changed and the trial practically started from scratch.

During the previous proceedings, the court heard 15 prosecution witnesses and examined numerous documents and minutes.

The criminal investigation in the case known as the Kuliok case was resumed on May 18, 2022, after the Chisinau Court of Appeal overturned the decision of the Chisinau Court on the refusal to open a criminal investigation against former President Igor Dodon.

The case is based on a video recording from June 2019, in which Dodon appears together with Vladimir Plahotniuc and Serghei Iaralov.