Moldovan Court of Appeal rejects appeal by former premier's lawyers

Chisinau, 25 May /MOLDPRES/-The Court of Appeal today dismissed the appeal lodged by the lawyers of former Prime Minister Vlad Filat against the ruling providing for extending Filat's preventive arrest by another 30 days. The information was confirmed by the above-mentioned institution’s spokesperson, Octeabrina Popa.

Also today, more MPs of the Liberal Democratic Party (PLDM), including Tudor Deliu and Maria Ciobanu, as well as Vlad Filat’s brother and more citizens, gathered outside the Court of Appeal and demanded that court sessions be public.

The arrest warrant on the name of former Prime Minister Vlad Filat was extended on 18 May 2016. The ruling was issued by Chisinau-based Buiucani district court, after prosecutors of the National Anti-corruption Centre had filed a petition asking that the arrest warrant of PLDM’s leader be extended, based on certain evidence, which could not be made public as the session was private.

Former Prime Minister Vlad Filat was detained on 15 October 2015 based on businessman Ilan Shor’s self-denouncement, according to which he had bribed the former prime minister by giving him 250 million dollars. The accusations were denied by Vlad Filat. He has been under preventive arrest for more than seven months, facing charges of influence peddling and passive corruption in the bank scam at the former Savings Bank.

(Reporter A. Plitoc, Editor L. Alcaza)