First witnesses for defence heard in file on former Moldovan PM

Chisinau, 27 May /MOLDPRES/ - Witnesses for the defence have confirmed that the former prime minister, Vlad Filat, was not guilty of anything and did not influence the decision-makers in taking certain decisions, the lawyer of the former PM, Igor Popa, said today. At the same time, the case prosecutor, Adriana Betisor, said the heard persons had not combat the evidence of the prosecution.       

The case prosecutor also said the lawyers had demanded to forcibly bring six witnesses. “Yet, no evidence has been brought that they were earlier notified that they must come to the court session,” Betisor noted.     

The first three witnesses for the defence were heard today: the former director of the Franzeluta bread-making factory, Victor Cojocaru, a lawmaker of the Liberal Democratic Party (PLDM), Chiril Lucinschi and the former deputy secretary general of the government, Eduard Banaruc.    

Upon leaving the courtroom, Victor Cojocaru told journalists that he had been asked about the banks with which the enterprise he led worked and whether he had been influenced by somebody in taking decisions. “I answered that the enterprise has activity ties with six banks and that all the contracts signed with the latter had been negotiated and are legal. I also said that neither me nor the administrative board were influenced by anybody in taking decisions,” Cojocaru said.     

Following hearings, PLDM MP Chiril Lucinschi said that he had been asked about the birthday of Vlad Filat from 2013 and about his present relation with businessman Ilan Shor. “I said that, at that event, I had not seen any present received by Vlad Filat, and as for the present relation with Ilan Shor, I said that we had been knowing each other since childhood, but we do not communicate at present,” Lucinschi said.

For his part, the former deputy secretary general of the government, Eduard Banaruc, confirmed that “he was asked about some events from the government’s work of the 2013 year period.” Yet, Banaruc avoided providing more details, reasoning that the meeting had been closed.  

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.

The next meeting on the file of the former PM, Vlad Filat, is to take place on 31 May, within which witnesses for the defence will continue being heard.   

(Reporter A. Plitoc, editor L. Alcaza)