The law that enables to convict the person in absentia and to confiscate their property changed the fugitives’ view, said Minister of Justice Sergiu Litvinenco. According to him, the case against the ex-Democratic MP Vladimir Andronachi is to be sent to court. Sergiu Litivenco expressed his confidence that the judges will pass judgment as swiftly as possible and will not allow delays in the trial, IPN reports.

Former Democratic MP Vladimir Andronachi was arrested two days ago at the Criva-Mamaliga border crossing point after he was declared persona non-grata in Ukraine and was expelled from this country. The minister of justice said the fugitive ex-MP is featured in a number of criminal cases that are to be sent to court.

“In the case of Andronachi, the case concerning the bank fraud is almost ready to be sent to court. Andronachi also has other criminal cases started against him, including the Metalferos case. The prosecutors are to do their job and to send these cases to court, while the judges need to examine the cases in a reasonable timeframe, by observing all the rights and guarantees,” Sergiu Litvinenco stated in the program “Emphasis on Today” on TVR Moldova channel.

The minister said the law that enables to try the case in the absence of the accused also allows penalizing those who abscond abroad. The persons can be convicted in absentia and can have their property confiscated. This law changed the perception of the fugitives.

Sergiu Litvinenco considers the former Democratic leader Vladimir Plahotniuc’s announcement of his return to politics in Moldova will not have any end result and by such statements the fugitive oligarch tries to obtain political asylum.

“The statement made by Plahontiuc for the press is nothing but an attempt to become a “political dissident”. I think he tries to persuade someone in the host country that he is a politician and this way invokes this hypothetical political persecution. Plahotniuc made this statement immediately after the U.S. put him on the sanctions list,” stated the minister.

A day after the U.S. ambassador to Moldova announced that Vlad Plahotniuc and Ilan Shor had been put on the U.S. sanctions list, the former leader of the PDM stated that he would return to politics as he wants to complete the projects he initiated while the Democratic Party ruled in Moldova and to save the country from the crisis.