The suspended mayor Dorin Chirtoaca was issued with a new indictment. For the purpose, he presented himself at the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office together with his lawyer on September 8. Dorin Chirtoaca said the second criminal case against him was also started illegally, IPN reports.
According to the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office, during 1998 – 2013 the courts issued 383 decisions by which the Chisinau Municipal Council was obliged to provide dwellings from the municipal housing sector to different persons and their families. Thus, between 2012 and January 2017 the City Hall, represented by the mayor general, by prior arrangement with the parties, concluded reconciliation transactions with the persons who presented relevant court decisions. The mayor, concluding 81 such transactions and paying a total of 66 million lei in compensation from the municipal budget, caused considerable damage to the local public administration.
Lawyer Tatiana Iovu told the press that the accusations made against Dorin Chirtoaca are groundless. “These are absurd as those reconciliation transactions invoked by the prosecution are legal and in force and haven’t been annulled by court decision,” she stated.
According to the suspended mayor, the Chisinau City Hall and the Municipal Council have a common municipal bank account and there are no separate accounts. As apartments could not be provided because the City Hall does not have them, it was decided to pay compensations. Dorin Chirtoaca said he has been fined for many years for not implementing court decisions. At the same time, a criminal case was started because he implemented court decisions. “How should I have acted? They nevertheless started a criminal case,” said the suspended mayor.
Dorin Chirtoaca is also tried in the pay parking spaces case. He was arrested on May 25 and was put under house arrest in two days and continues to be under such arrest. He is accused of passive corruption and influence peddling. Dorin Chirtoaca pleads not guilty.
