“I don’t know such precedents in my career as a lawyer. I don’t know cases when a judgment is not made public. I don’t want to guess as I don’t know details and don’t want to give the impression that I exert pressure on judges,” Minister of Justice Fadei Nagachevski stated, referring to a scandal that involves the former SIS chief Vasile Botnari.

According to the minister, by the secret examination of the case of the former director of the Security and Intelligence Service and the non-publishing of the court judgment, the Moldovans’ confidence in justice was further diminished.

“First of all, I have the same questions as you do. I’m interested in the phenomenon, not in the concrete case. The fact that the judgment wasn’t made public was a surprise for me,” Fadei Nagachevski said in the program “Emphasis on Today” on TVR Moldova channel.

The functionary expressed his bewilderment at the fact that the involved victims weren’t classed as injured parties even over the damages paid by the accused.

“I cannot yet comment on this without knowing the essence and content of the case. It’s good that damages were paid as a victim rehabilitation formula, but the trial should have also taken place so that the citizens of the Republic of Moldova do not doubt the fact that the trial was fixed, but are sure that the goal was to hold accountable the persons to blame in this case that made us notorious abroad and affected the credibility of justice inside the country,’ stated the minister.

As to the fine imposed on Vasile Botnari, Fadei Nagachevski said this can be inequitable, but he cannot pronounce as he does not know details of the case.

The seven Turkish teachers of the Lyceum “Orizont” were expelled from Moldova on September 6, 2018. In a TV program earlier this month, Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo said the former SIS director was given a suspended sentence, but he didn’t give details. The next day, the Prosecutor General’s Office issued a press release, saying that the case was sent to court this February and the examined as a classified one. The sentence was given in July, but was classed as secret.

Later, the MPs of the Party of Action and Solidarity asserted the prosecutor general lied to the whole country as the ex-director of the Security and Intelligence Service Vasile Botnari was only fined 88,000 lei in the case concerning the expulsion of the seven Turkish teachers.