Liberal-Democrat MP asks being deprived of parliamentary immunity

The lawmaker of the Liberal-Democratic Party Ion Butmalai requested the legislative body to lift his parliamentary immunity owing to the necessity of examining legal cases opened against him over document forgery. He said the cases were started by order in 2007-2008 with the participation of Head of Parliament Marian Lupu and his party colleague, Deputy Speaker Vladimir Plahotniuc, Info-Prim Neo reports. “I ask being deprived of immunity in connection with the necessity of examining the legal case opened in 2007 by the prosecutor of Cahul district and the legal case started in 2008 by the General Investigation Division of the Ministry of the Interior. These cases were opened by political order,” the lawmaker said in the Parliament’s sitting. In 2008, the two cases were merged and are to be judged at the Cahul Court. According to Ion Butmalai, the cases were opened with serious violations of the penal procedure by order of government officials. “My rights were violated. The members of my family were intimidated. Searches were performed with the aim of placing drugs, guns and forged money so that they could arrest me in circumstances prepared by the police,” said the MP. He also said that he is now persecuted by the bodies of the Prosecutor General’s Office, whose behavior is totally inappropriate. According to him, this scheme involves Prosecutor General Valeriu Zubco and two prosecutors called Rosiorul and Vasiliu. Ion Butmalai said he is being followed and his phone is being tapped. “I thank Valeriu Zubco for his care, but he would better deal with other matters. He fulfills the order of Head of Parliament Marian Lupu. Plahoniuc and Marian Lupu have clan, group and personal interests. Mister Lupu and the First Deputy Speaker already want to buy the Parliament and the state institutions,” the lawmaker told the journalists after the Parliament’s sitting. He said that all the problems started in 2006, when he ran for the post of mayor of Cahul. “I was then invited by a mister, who told me I should better withdraw my candidacy. They launched attacks on me and started legal cases by order,” said the MP. He also said that besides Lupu and Plahotniuc, the scheme also involved the Communist leader Vladimir Voronin, former Minister of Information Development Vladimir Molojen, and the former head of the Transport Registration Division Valentin Foros. “Three individuals who went hunting,” he stated. The application to lift the immunity will be examined by the legal commission for appointments and immunities.