The Agency for Monument Inspection and Restoration has accused the Chisinau City Hall and the Ministry of Culture of allowing demolishing buildings classed as architectural monuments by corruption and forgery in documents, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to the Agency’s head Ion Stefanita, a building of national importance located at 52 Schusev St is in danger, while another one of local importance situated at 67 Schusev St has been already demolished. “The Ministry of Culture forged a series of documents and allowed taking down these buildings that have the status of architectural monument. The Chisinau City Hall allowed erecting an apartment building instead of the building that was situated at 67 Schusev St. These cases involve functionaries who know the law and should protect it,” Ion Stefanita said in a news conference on Wednesday. “A deputy mayor or an architect cannot take decisions instead of the Chisinau Municipal Council or Parliament. The National Register of Monuments was adopted by the legislature and published in the Official Gazette and the signature of an architect cannot be more important than a Parliament decision.” Lawyer Violeta Gasitoi told the same new conference that the owners reacted promptly in the case of the building located at 52 Schusev St and the process can be stopped. “The building risks being demolished. A hotel is to be constructed instead of it. The City Hall servants are very aggressive and do not want to obey the law. They shift responsibility onto the Ministry of Culture, but in fact they mislead the Ministry, which authorizes something else,” she stated. According to the lawyer, the authorization of the demolition of the building from 52 Schusev St is illegal because the Council of Experts of the Ministry of Culture did not give its consent. “The City Hall, in concert with a former employee of the Ministry, allowed knocking the monument down and building a six-storey hotel instead of it. In both of the cases, there are involved persons holding important positions,” said Violeta Gasitoi. She also said that the fundamental human rights are being violated owing to corruption at state institutions. “In this case, the right to private life was infringed as the decision to erect a high building was taken without consulting public opinion,” stated the lawyer. The Agency for Monument Inspection and Restoration asked the Supreme Court of Justice to prevent the demolition of the building. It also requested the Prosecutor’s Office to hold accountable the functionaries who exceeded their authority.