Albasat TV continues to be stalked by law enforcers

The request of the founders of Euronova Media Grup to stop the actions of pursuance of the local tv station “Albasat TV” from Nisporeni has got no response. The police have started another probe, and the director of the station was fined, Info-Prim Neo reports. Valeriu Saharneanu, the director of Euronova Media Grup, Albasat TV is a part of, says that the pursuits and continuous verifications halt the institution to accomplish its commitment to inform the public thoroughly and objectively about the electoral campaign, as its employees are often called to and kept at the police. Penal proceedings for false evidence and fraud has been started against director of the tv station “Albasat TV” Efim Bardan, and he was asked to present video materials from 2006. On March 13 of this year, Efim Bardan was called to the Economic Crimes and Corruption Combating Center (ECCCC), after the Nisporeni Police Station lodged a complaint claiming the director would have barred the police to search the quarters. For this case, the director was fined 3,000 lei. “We shall sue this decision in the court, as we consider it illegal. This behavior is the result of executing a political command that pursues the harassment of this tv station in the full swing of the electoral campaign,” Bardan said. Stockholder of “Euronova Media Grup” Veaceslav Tabuleac, the director of the radio station “Vocea Basarabiei,” believes that such undemocratic actions prevent foreign investments to the local media institutions. Efim Bardan has also said that the studio continues to work. “Albasat TV” announced for the first time it will hold electoral debates that will start on March 18. Taking into consideration the lack of reaction from the Central Election Commission and other state institutions in charge, the company's founders have notified the Council of Europe, the European Commission and other European organizations that monitor the observance of democratic standards as to this case.