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

Chisinau, 26 February /MOLDPRES/-The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal lodged by the lawyers of former Prime Minister Vlad Filat on the ruling of Chisinau-based Buiucani district court to investigate Filat under custody. The announcement was made by the former prime minister’s lawyer, Igor Popa.

According to Popa, the ruling of the Court of Appeal is illegal, as a 90-day arrest warrant would not be valid anymore.

“Vlad Filat should be set free, once the decision of the Constitutional Court (CC) entered into force and the 90-day arrest warrant stopped being valid. Therefore, courts and courts of appeal should adjust their decisions to the decision of the CC or check the reasons upon which prisoners should be held under arrest,” Popa said.

“The next meeting to issue another arrest warrant against Vlad Filat is due on 1 March. Until then, he should be set free,” Popa added.

According to the decision the Constitutional Court took on 23 February 2016, one cannot be held under preventive arrest any longer than 30 days during a warrant, and 12 months as total.

Vlad Filat was detained on 15 October, under a warrant of arrest issued by the National Anticorruption Centre, after the parliament had ruled to strip him of immunity.

On 18 October, the Buiucani district court of Chisinau issued a preventive arrest warrant against the former prime minister for 30 days. On 11 November and afterwards on 10 December, the judges prolonged the arrest of the MP by another 30 days. Buiucani district court prolonged the arrest warrant against Vlad Filat by 90 more days.

(Reporter A. Plitoc, Editor M. Jantovan)