The Buiucani branch of the Court of Chisinau municipality on September 11 extended for another 30 days the house arrest warrant for the suspended mayor of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca following a request by anticorruption prosecutors. The court also rejected the lawyers’ request to allow Chirtoaca to go abroad to take part in the meeting of the bureaus of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe as elected vice president of the Chamber of Regions.

After the decision was made public, prosecutor Dumitru Robu said the reasons that were earlier provided for extending the house arrest continue to be relevant. There is yet a risk that the trying of the case will be influenced and that new offenses will be committed. The risk of evasion also persists. “Thus, we consider the imposition of a milder measure is not welcome. The offender could determine witnesses to change their depositions,” stated Dumitru Robu.

The suspended mayor’s lawyer Gheorghe Malic said there wasn’t presented any conclusive evidence and only the prosecutor’s statements are taken into account. The rejection of the request to allow Dorin Chirtoaca to take part in the meeting of the bureaus of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe affects Moldova’s image.

Dorin Chirtoaca was arrested on May 25 in a case concerning parking spaces to be operated as part of what seemed to be an illegal scheme. Two days later he was placed under house arrest. The mayor has been charged with accepting bribes and influencing decisions for undue gains. Dorin Chirtoaca pleads not guilty.