Representatives of the Moldovan Employers Ferrous and Nonferrous Metals Recycling and Collection Association ask to review the actions of the prosecution body and to set free the metals market associates who were arrested in the so-called Metalferos case. The Association’s president Ion Drăniceru said that no person of the association avoided making statements and no one left the country.
“There is no logic in the arrest of persons when these do not refuse to cooperate. On July 23, 2020, we openly declared that we know about eventual intimidation and arrests. However, no one left the country for the simple reason that no person of the association is to blame for what they are accused of,” Ion Drăniceru stated in a press briefing at IPN.
According to him, it’s clear that the goal is to take over the metals business in Moldova. “We hope the law enforcement agencies are not involved in the actions to destabilize the metals market whose final goal is to take over the business,” said Ion Drăniceru.
He noted that prosecutors’ actions are based on false statements made by a person who also works in this sector, but who is bypassed by the investigation actions. “So, based on a reasonable suspicion, the business entity about which we speak is “Sofilarex Plus”. This is controlled by Eșanu Valentin, who is the only founder and manager,” he stated.
According to Ion Drăniceru, the formulated accusations were based namely on Eșanu’s statements and these false statements led to the destabilization of the metals market in Moldova.
“We vehemently condemn the pressure exerted on us. We are concerned about the developments on the metals market. We are indignant at the fact that the alarm signals we give are ignored by the responsible decision makers. In such conditions, we firmly declare that if those who are paid from the taxes paid by us, but it should be noted that one enterprise working in our field pays 2-1.5 million taxes into the state budget annually, do not do justice to us, we will ourselves obtain justice, by any legal way,” stated Ion Drăniceru.
The Moldovan Employers Ferrous and Nonferrous Metals Recycling and Collection Association was registered with the Public Services Agency on July 7, 2020 and has a membership of about 20 companies.
