The sale of a municipality-owned plot of land on Ciocarlia Street in 2006, ten times below its market value, was a political order by the Communist Party, which at the time held the majority in the City Council, stated Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca, appearing on Wednesday in court as a witness on the case. “The order came directly from (Communist leader) Vladimir Voronin as he is the beneficiary of a 4-story house built on that plot”, said Chirtoaca. He added that the formal buyer, a firm called Moldconstructmarket, and the formal owner, another firm called Biotexcom, should confess who was the actual beneficiary. According to the Mayor, there are at least two facts that prove Voronin's involvement: it is known that Biotexcom provides services to the Voronin family, and the Voronins are currently living on Ciocarlia Street. In his statement before the court, Dorin Chirtoaca said that the sale deal of the 2.4 ha plot was examined at a City Council meeting, with the initial price being 30 million lei, and at the next meeting the price dropped to 3 million lei for no apparent reason. The Mayor said the municipality would request 23 million lei in damages, as found by the Anti-Corruption Center. One of the defendants, Vasile Ursu, who was serving as acting mayor at the time of the deal and gave his formal consent to it, said the trial was a political action at the order of Dorin Chirtoaca. Ursu stated that the plot had been appraised correctly, according to the relevant methodology, at 2.5 million lei. The “Ciocarlia Case” started on Dorin Chirtoaca's notification submitted to the Anti-Corruption Center. A number of municipal officials, including ex-acting Mayor Vasile, are charged with malfeasance in office.