The Buiucani branch of the Chisinau Municipal Court decided on Friday, August 11, the first hearing in the trial of former MP Chiril Lucinschi will take place on October 17. The ex-parliamentarian is accused of being involved in the defrauding of Banca de Economii, Banca Sociala and Unibank. The court rejected his lawyers’ request to stop the prosecution of the former official, IPN reports.

Lawyer Corina Stratan said that the defense also requested that the court, via the Ministry of Justice, ask the authorities from Liechtenstein to transmit some evidence than can help the politician’s defense. However, the court rejected this request as well.

“We deem these rulings ungrounded. We made the same request, to contact the authorities in Liechtenstein, during the beginning of the prosecution, but it was rejected back then as well. The court was the only entity that could intervene in order to ensure the accused person’s right to defense”, explained Stratan.

On August 1, the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office finished its investigation and filed the charges against the former MP, who was arrested two months ago. According to the prosecution, the gathered information indicates that the suspect, together with three intermediaries, committed money laundering in particularly big amounts. This crime is punishable by up to 10 years in jail.

In addition to this, the politician is accused of violating the laws on declaration of assets. Allegedly, he hid his ownership of some companies that were involved in the banking fraud. On his income declaration, he didn’t include the money held in the accounts of these companies, which he used to pay for his children’s education abroad. Chiril Lucinschi pleads not guilty.