If the lawmakers hadn’t voted for withdrawing the parliamentary immunity of the Lib-Dem Vlad Fila so that he could be investigated, they would have placed obstacles to the investigation bodies and such an act would have been considered as interference in justice, Democratic MP Sergiu Sarbu said in the public debate “Professionalism of law enforcement bodies, behavior of the political class and protesters in the case of annulment of immunity and arrest of MP Vlad Filat, the leader of the PLDM”, staged by IPN News Agency in partnership with Radio Moldova.
“On October 15, the appearance of the prosecutor general in Parliament was a surprise for us as the parliamentary agenda was modified. We didn’t expect that request to withdraw the immunity and didn’t plan how to act. When the legal commission came together and read those materials from the case, I say it sincerely that information stunned us. I think nobody in this country would have voted in a different way. We have pledged for the annulment of the parliamentary immunity for many years. Everyone should be equal before the law,” said the lawmaker.
Sergiu Sarbu noted that the Constitution couldn’t have been amended last year, but the MPs must definitively not enjoy immunity as they should not hide behind this shield. “The agreement to form the AEI contains whole chapters concerning the elucidation of those significant bank frauds. We hadn’t been involved and it is our duty to get at the truth so that those to blame answer in accordance with the law. We think that unanimity in Parliament was logical. The truth must be discovered. We don’t know if Vlad Filat is to blame. The investigation will show. If we hadn’t voted for lifting the immunity, this would have meant that we erected obstacles and wanted to hush this case up and to hide something. It is our duty to allow the competent bodies to complete the investigation,” he said, adding he considers that this case involves not only one person.
The lawmaker stated that the Democratic Party believes the Alliance for European Integration 3 should continue on the path of European integration. “We do not want the agreement on the formation of the alliance to be ended. We do not want the Government to be dismissed. We will do our best for the launched reforms to be continued. We hope our colleagues from the PLDM will show maturity and will not take measures that will lead to the dismemberment of the AEI 3,” he said.
Sergiu Sarbu also said that it is now impossible to hold early elections. “We want the judiciary to do its duty and the persons to blame to be held accountable, while the innocent ones to be acquitted. The administration should work further based on the Government’s program. There is no other way out,” stated the lawmaker.
The debate “Professionalism of law enforcement bodies, behavior of the political class and protesters in the case of annulment of immunity and arrest of MP Vlad Filat, the leader of the PLDM” is the 42nd installment of the series of debates “Developing political culture by public debates” that are held with the support of the German foundation Hanns Seidel.
