The Chișinău Court of Appeal suspended on Tuesday, November 12, the Superior Council of Magistrates ruling, by which the judge of the Supreme Court of Justice Oleg Sternioală was stripped of immunity, being subsequently detained. The information was confirmed for IPN by the Court of Appeal spokeswoman, Octebrina Popa.
The ruling of the Court of Appeal "suspends the decision of the Superior Court of Magistrates (CSM) until the decision is finalized, by which the General Prosecutor's Office criminally investigated Judge Oleg Sternioală", said Octebrina Popa.
Oleg Sternioală pleaded that the CSM meeting of November 4 was illegal, considering that CSM members were dismissed from office on September 27. Earlier, the CSM issued a reply, specifying that the decision of the Extraordinary Assembly of Judges of September 27 is void.
A week ago, Judge Oleg Sternioală was released in the courtroom, while no other preventive measures were applied. The judges rejected the prosecutors' request to apply preventive measures, namely a day arrest. The decision was challenged by Anticorruption prosecutors, who considered the court's decision unfounded.
Asked by IPN, Emil Gaitur, General Prosecutor's Office press officer, said that the case is managed by the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office. According to him, currently, the state prosecutor's appeal is being examined by the Court of Appeal. Moreover, the prosecutor challenged the court's rejection to apply the preventive arrest.
The Chișinău Court of Appeal ruling is enforceable, but can be appealed within 15 days to the Supreme Court of Justice.
Oleg Sternioală was detained on November 4 in a criminal case that investigated money laundering in large proportions.
