The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) summoned the former Romanian MP Cristian Rizea to questioning after it took note of the statements made by Rizea in a TV program. Rizea asserted that ex-MP Ion Butmalai and businessmen Iurie Luncașu and Saro Salemi were assassinated, IPN reports.

“Given that the criminal cases concerning the deaths of Ion Butmalai and Iurie Luncașu were dropped in the absence of evidence of an offense, while the investigation into the Salemi case was suspended based on Article 287, point 1 of the Penal Procedure Code as a person who could be charged wasn’t identified, the Prosecutor General’s Office ordered the responsible subdivisions to resume the investigations,” the PGO said in a press release.

It noted that Rizea will be questioned as a witness so as to verify the collected information and confirm or refute the alleged assassinations.

Ex-PSD MP Cristian Rizea was arrested on November 3 after his Moldovan nationality was withdrawn by a decree signed by the then President Igor Dodon on November 2. Rizea fled Romania where he was sentenced to four years in jail, while his application to be offered asylum in Moldova was rejected. In a TV program, Rizea made a number of statements, saying also that Pro Moldova MP Vladimir Cebotari is the right hand of Vlad Plahotniuc and he manages the schemes in the Moldovan justice sector. In reply, Cebotari denied the accusations made by Rizea, saying the ex-Romanian MP asked him to intermediate a meeting with Vlad Plahotniuc, but he refused.