Moldovan PM says government to cut financing of judicial system to honour decision by European top court

Chisinau, 19 February /MOLDPRES/ - Prime Minister Ion Chicu, in the beginning of a today’s cabinet meeting, informed about the fact that the government had received an order to pay 70 million lei, under a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) from 2011, which condemned Moldova following a decision by the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) from 2005. In the context, the PM said that this money would be paid by cutting the financing of the judicial system for 2020.

The prime minister gave the names of those five judges who had taken the decision which brought Moldova a damage of 70 million lei. “Now, we must go to parliament and demand rectification of the budget for this year, in order to find this money, so as to honour the obligations towards ECHR. This money, however, will not be taken from accounts for social projects, children’s nourishment, construction of aqueducts, schools’ renovation, etc. The concerned sum will be paid at the expense of cutting the financing of the judicial system, planned for the current year,” the prime minister said.  

At the same time, Ion Chicu demanded that the Justice Ministry verifies all details of this case, with the notification of the Prosecutor General’s Office (PG) too.    

Also, the prime minister asked the competent structures to verify the incomes of the five judges. At the same time, till early next week, all information on Moldova’s convictions at ECHR should be published on the Justice Ministry’s webpage.  

According to the PM, the ECHR’s aforementioned ruling refers to a conflict between two private companies on the commercial complex Gemenii (The Twins) from the centre of the Moldovan capital.