The Superior Councilor of Magistracy put off the examination of the applications submitted again by ten candidates for president and vice president of the newly formed courts of law, at the request of the presidential administration. In the February 7 meeting, the Council’s chairman Victor Micu said the Superior Councilor of Magistracy was requested by the presidential administration to postpone the examination of the applications, without specifying yet for what period, IPN reports.

Council member Teo Carnat said he was against the postponement, noting this was an abuse on the part of the presidential administration because this is a matter that is within the competence of the Council. This interference is nothing else but an attempt to delay the implementation of the Law on the Reorganization of Courts of Law, which took effect on January 1, 2017.

“The presidential administration should have justified each of its decisions to reject candidates immediately, not when the mass media started to criticize it for not having reasons to do so. Now it found a reason to put off the examination so as to look for more information,” stated Teo Carnat.

In the same connection, one of the judges attending the Council’s meeting said he was phoned by employees of the Security and Intelligence Service and asked to provide additional information.

President Igor Dodon rejected ten of the 22 candidates for court president and vice president proposed by the Superior Councilor of Magistracy. Those rejected are: Vitalie Zaporojan, Sergiu Osoianu, Veaceslav Suciu, Mihail Macar, Oleg Melniciuc, Ion Rusu, Vadim Belous, Alexandru Parfeni, Ion Nashko, and Maria Chiperi.