Alexandru Zmeu, the lawyer for Irina Rolemskaia, said that his client considers that she was misled by persons holding responsible posts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. According to him, the woman considers this is swindle on behalf of the state as she won the case featuring the building of the Consulate of the Republic of Moldova in Odessa, Ukraine.
In a news conference at IPN, Alexandru Zmeu said that after the judgment was passed by the Râșcani branch of the Chisinau City Court on October 23, the representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs became hysterical and, without familiarizing themselves with the argued part of the decision, disseminated distorted and false information. “We consider the representatives of the Ministry, in order to camouflage the failure in a fair trial, decided to cover their omissions and illegalities by disseminating calumnious information. Consequently, based on false information, the image of the Ukrainian citizen Rolemskaya Irina, my client, who just wanted to conclude a simple exchange transaction with the state, which is the Government of the Republic of Moldova, is seriously and irremediably damaged,” explained the lawyer.
According to him, his client runs a business in Kiev and decided to extend it in Odessa by opening a mini-hotel. She went to a real estate agent who proposed that she should buy a building. It was reported that the building that belongs to the woman is worth US$90,000, but there are documents showing that the building was valued at about US$400,000. Through the real estate agency, the woman learned about the Moldovan authorities’ intention to exchange the building of the consulate and the building of Irina Rolemskaya was chosen as the most suitable from among the offers.
The current building of the consulate started to be used in the 1960s and hasn’t been extensively repaired since then. It was earlier the technical block of a sanatorium. In 2006, it was separated and transferred under the Ministry’s management. This building is not heated and is in a deplorable state, with its roof being damaged. It was reported that this building is worth millions. “A working group was set up and this asked a Ukrainian company to evaluate the building. This was assessed at about US$485,000, but we think its value is even lower,” stated Alexandru Zmeu.
According to him, the Government considered it is opportune for the consulate’s employees to work in better conditions and his client was offered to sign an exchange contract. The representatives of the Government of the Republic of Moldova asked that the woman should cover the costs related to the relocation of the consulate. For the purpose, the woman spent another 5 million Ukrainian hryvnias. “Regrettably, the Government decision of February 27, 2019, concerning the transfer of a building from public ownership under private ownership of the state and the signing of an exchange contract hasn’t been implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Government abrogated this decision,” said the lawyer.
He also said that a series of violations of essential norms stipulated in the Administrative Code were determined. All these aspects were raised in the trial and the court accepted Irina Rolemskaya’s claim. The woman suspects that persons with responsible posts from the Ministry, by abuse of power, intend to promote the own interests. Consequently, the employees of the consulate continue to work in inhuman conditions, the Moldovan citizens are served in deplorable conditions, while Irina Rolemskaya, who invested in the improvement of her building, as those from the Ministry requested, remains off the board. By such an attitude, Moldova’s international image is seriously spoiled.
