Parliament dismisses Ion Muruianu

Judge Ion Muruianu was discharged from the post of president of the Supreme Court of Justice. The members of the Liberal-Democrat coalition and unaffiliated MP Veaceslav Untila voted in favor of Muruianu's dismissal. The independent MPs representing the United Moldova Party refused to take part in the vote, while the Communist faction was absent when the issue was put to the vote, Info-Prim Neo reports. The proposal to dismiss Ion Muruianu was submitted by the PLDM. Liberal-Democrat MP Vitalie Nagacevski said Ion Muruianu's gross misconduct cannot be accepted. Nagacevski refereed to the statements made by Ion Muruianu at the General Assembly of Judges. He said then “the journalists are rabid dogs that become dangerous for the society.” Another reason in favor of the dismissal mentioned by the Liberal-Democrat MPs was that Moldova must pay 2.7 million euros damages over cases lost at the ECHR. MP Vladimir Turcan said before making a decision, the Parliament was to wait for the verdict of the Supreme Council of Magistrates. Liberal-Democrat MP Alexandru Tanase, Minister of Justice, said Muruianu is dismissed not as judge, but as administrator. “The dismissal from the post of president of the Supreme Court of Justice does not represent interference in the work of the judiciary,” Tanase said. Ion Muruianu did not attend the Parliament's sitting.