Court accepts recusal of judges examining criminal case against former Moldovan PM

Chisinau, 29 December /MOLDPRES/- The magistrates of Chisinau’s Buiucani district court today accepted the recusal of the judges in charge of the criminal case against former Prime Minister Vlad Filat.

Vlad Filat was not present at the court hearing. Prosecutor Adriana Betisor said the case would be assigned to a different judge after the recusal of its current judges. The same investigation procedure of the criminal case will be applied. “The judges brought arguments proving that they are no longer compatible with the further examination of this case,” she added.

Betisor noted that a petition asking that Filat’s arrest warrant be extended by 90 more days had been submitted this morning. “However, it will be examined after the case is assigned to a different judge. We will then set up a date to examine the petition,” Betisor said.  

Vlad Filat was arrested on 15 October, based on an arrest warrant issued by the National Anti-Corruption Centre (CNA), after the parliament had stripped him of immunity.

Chisinau’s Buiucani district court issued a 30-day preventive arrest warrant for Vlad Filat. Subsequently, it extended the arrest warrant on 11 November and 10 December by 30 more days, until 15 January.

(Reporter A. Plitoc, Editor A. Raileanu)