Moldovan judge to be prosecuted for bogus declarations of wealth

Chisinau, 04 July /MOLDPRES/ – Judge Oleg Melniciuc will be criminally prosecuted for bogus declarations of wealth and personal interests. The Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) accepted the initiation of criminal prosecution actions and the magistrate's accountability today.

A request to do so was made by General Prosecutor Eduard Harunjen. The information was confirmed for the agency by the CSM’s spokeswoman Carolina Mangir.

With regard to Oleg Melniciuc, the prosecutor's notification was partially admitted and the consent to the criminal investigation under art. 352, first para. (2) of the Criminal Code "False in Declarations" - Intentionally including incomplete or false data, intentional non-inclusion of data in the declaration of assets and personal interests.

The article provides for a fine of 20,000 to 30,000 lei or one year for imprisonment, in both cases depriving of the right to hold certain positions or to exercise a certain activity for a term from two to five years.

At the same time, the SCM rejected the General Prosecutor's request to suspend the judge from office.

Judge Oleg Melniciuc was detained on 27 June for 72 hours, in a file open on him for illicit enrichment. The detention occurred after searches at the magistrate's house and office. Similarly, after the expiration of the 72 hours, Melniciuc was released.

Also today, the request to initiate criminal prosecution on the name of the former judge of the Court of Appeal, Mihai Ciugureanu, was also examined, but the matter was postponed on the ground that he had no defender.

(Reporter A. Plitoc, editor A. Raileanu)