Moldovan agriculture minister placed under home arrest for 30 days

Chisinau, 17 March /MOLDPRES/ – The Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, Eduard Grama, was placed today under home arrest for 30 days, according to the Buiucani Court's decision of the capital.

The decision was taken in absence of Eduard Grama and may be appealed to the Court of Appeal within three days.

Iurie Balan, the Agriculture Minister’s lawyer, said that the court decision was an unfounded one. "No evidence has been submitted to demonstrate suspicion of committing the crime. We believe that the release of Mr. Grama under judicial control would be sufficient," said the lawyer. However, he said that Agriculture Minister felt better and had already been discharged.

At his turn, the case prosecutor, Dorin Compan, said that Grama was accused of passive corruption. "Committing a crime which he is accused of, has qualifier – in extremely large quantities, because it exceeds the amount of 200 thousand lei",  said the prosecutor.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, Eduard Grama, was arrested two days ago by anticorruption officers on suspicion of bribery for illegal alienation of 9.2 hectares of land adjacent to the National College of Viticulture and Wine-making in Chisinau.

The anticorruption prosecutors yesterday issued the order on putting Eduard Grama under accusation. Also yesterday, the Prime Minister received a request from Eduard Grama where he announced his intention to resign from office, and today Pavel Filip sent a letter to President of the State, Igor Dodon, in which he proposed revocation of Minister of Agriculture and Food Eduard Grama.

(Reporter A. Plitoc, editor L. Alcaza)