The five former lawmakers apprehended Wednesday on illicit enrichment charges will remain in custody for at least the next 20 to 30 days, the Chisinau/Ciocana Court ruled today.

Vladimir Vitiuc, Anatolie Zagorodnîi, Artur Reșetnicov and Sergiu Sîrbu have been given 30 days of preventive arrest, while Violeta Ivanov got the lesser term.

“I am innocent. Everyone’s incomes exceed one’s expenses. And I regret voting for Maia Sandu and bringing such a cynical monster to power, one that is destroying our state”, Reșetnicov told reporters. The former lawmaker, who announced going on a hunger strike from the moment of his arrest, says he is determined to continue his protest.

Sergiu Sîrbu also denied any wrongdoing and called the charges against him “absurd”. “I only hope for fair judicial proceedings. Nothing more”, added Sîrbu.

All the five were once Communist lawmakers, before eventually joining the Democratic Party’s group alongside eigfht other defectors. It has long been reported that they accepted large bribes from the former Democratic Party’s boss Vlad Plahotniuc for their transition.

Following searches on February 2 and 3, prosecutors said they found “significant amounts” of cash in the suspects’ homes and other locations. One of them is reported to have cached a total of 150,000 euros and 50,000 dollars in his (or her) bank safe boxes. Another one was found to have stashed 44,300 euros and 34,700 dollars in his (or her) home.