A new witness was questioned in the March 12 hearing in the case of former Prime Minister Vlad Filat. Prosecutor Adriana Betisor said the manager of “Caravita” company Ion Rusu was the prosecution’s witness and this maintained all the statements he made during the investigation. For his part, Vlad Filat’s lawyer Igor Popa said the depositions of Ion Rusu show once again that his client is innocent, IPN reports.

After the hearing, Adriana Betisor has told the press that Ion Rusu answered the questions put by the prosecution, the defense and the accused. Other witnesses of the prosecution will be questioned in the next hearings.

Igor Popa said Ion Rusu’s statements prove Vlad Filat’s innocence. “What Ion Rusu related does not represent incriminating elements against Vlad Filat. I cannot yet say more about this given the nonpublic character of the trial,” he stated.

The lawyer also said that he filed an application concerning non-constitutionality exception given that his client’s right to justice is violated by Article 329 of the Penal Procedure Code. “This article provides that the lawyers or the defendant cannot submit a new application to replace or annul the pretrial detention earlier than 30 days. In the light of the Constitutional Court’s decision of February 23, which provides that a remand warrant can be valid for at most 30 days, it is practically impossible to file a new application in this regard within 30 days,” he explained.

According to Igor Popa, the next hearing was set for March 15, but this could be rescheduled now that the defense filed this new application.