Court of Appeals starts examining case State vs. Municipal Council

On Monday, February 5, the Court of Appeals has started the examination of the claim initiated against the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) by the former manager of the radio “Antena C” Vasile State, regarding his dismissal. During the lawsuit, State said that the CMC decision on his dismissal is illegal because it can be decided solely at the suggestion of the general city mayor or of a third of the councillors, but not at the suggestion of one councillor, as it was done. He also stated that he was fired based on a Labour Code article, for seriously breaking a regulation, but there was no argument set forth related to any regulation that had been broken. Head of the CMC Legal Assistance Direction Ghenadie Gluscenco, the representative of the Council in the court, declared that the proposal to fire State was not only supported by councillor Corduneanu, but was also the decision of communist and Christian-democrat councillors. According to Gluscenco, the ex-director of the radio station was fired for organising protests of “Antena C” journalists in the CMC sitting hall, while these journalists were supposed to be at work. At the same time, the representative of the CMC admitted that the procedure of firing State “wasn’t completely followed”, but this happened just because CMC had gathered that meeting as a “force major” situation. After both parties expressed their visions, the judge adjourned the court till Monday, February 12, at 11.00. Judge Mihai Ciugureanu prohibited reporters from taking notes during the sitting, and to some journalists, even the access to the courtroom. Vasile State told reporters that he fulfilled his duties, qualifying as illegal the grounds for his dismissal. According to his words, the CMC representative was trying say that State had been behind the incidents that occurred during the CMC session of December 14. State emphasised that the journalists are people free to express their thoughts anywhere, including at the CMC sessions which are public, and the radio station employees just came to defend their rights, so he cannot be considered guilty for the fact that these people expressed themselves freely in the Council’s sitting hall. Vasile State, together with the director of the “Euro TV Chisinau” channel Arcadie Gherasim, were both fired during the same session of the Municipal Council at which it was decided to auction off the 2 institutions. The 2 directors were fired by the votes of the communist and Christian-democrat councillors at the suggestion of the ex-leader of the PPCD fraction in the Council, Alexandru Corduneanu. The decision regarding the sale of the institutions is also sued by the employees of the two stations.