The Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) refused to replace the panel of judges based on an application submitted by mayor-elect Andrei Nastase, IPN reports.

The announcement was made by Andrei Nastase in the protest staged in front of the Supreme Court of Justice, where the panel is examining behind closed doors the challenge to the Appeals Court’s decision to uphold the ordinary court’s judgement by which the early mayoral elections held in Chisinau municipality were invalidated.

The panel of judges includes the president of the Supreme Court of Justice Ion Druta, who, according to Andrei Nastase, should stay in jail for appropriation of public funds and who fulfils the criminal orders of the leader of the Democratic Party Vlad Plahotniuc.