The MPs gave a final reading to and adopted the bill that allows to prosecute someone in absentia if that person is clearly absconding from investigation or trial, IPN reports.

Under the bill, if the person evades criminal investigation and flees to another state, but the whereabouts of this are known, the prosecutor will ask the authorities of the given state to arraign the person. Later, the case could be sent to court. Another mechanism for indicting in absentia refers to the situation when the whereabouts of the person are not known. In this case, the indicting and completion of the investigation will be ensured by a judge of inquiry at the request of the prosecutor.

In the same meeting, the MPs passed amendments to the Penal Code that enable to apply the mechanism for extended confiscation of property accumulated through acts of corruption. The legislative proposal put forward by President Maia Sandu enables to confiscate property transferred by the convict to third persons in order to avoid confiscation and also in the absence of the accused, in case of death or if this does not appear in court.

The extended confiscation will be ordered if the value of the goods gained by the convicted person exceeds 20 average official salaries and evidence that this property was obtained legally cannot be provided.