January 10, the lawyers for Vlad Filat disputed the decisions passed by the Chisinau Appeals Court and the Buiucani Court in the case of the former Premier in the Supreme Court of Justice. The defense insists that the appeal should be examined in a public hearing and the judges should pronounce on all the invoked reasons. The lawyers requested the Supreme Court of Justice to fully quash the decision of the Buiucani Court, to partially quash the decision of the Penal Board of the Chisinau Appeals Court, to retry the case and pass a new judgment in this case. The ex-Premier was sentenced to nine years in jail for influence peddling and passive corruption.
January 11, the General Police Inspectorate said the minor suspected of murdering a 14-year-old girl from Straseni at the end of last November was extradited to Moldova. The teen aged 17 left Moldova on November 27. He crossed the border to Romania through the Leuseni customs post. On December 2, he was announced wanted through Interpol. A Red Notice meaning “dangerous offender” was issued against him on December 5. The law enforcement bodies of Hungary arrested the minor on December 6. The girl was found dead in an unfinished building in Straseni town on November 30. The police identified four suspects, who are all minors. Two of them were arrested shortly afterward and are held on remand. The third suspect cannot be prosecuted because he is only 13.
In its January 11 meeting, the Cabinet approved the nominal composition of the Moldovan delegation that will accompany President Igor Dodon on an official visit to Moscow on January 16-18. The delegation consists of the chairwoman of the Socialist parliamentary group Zinaida Grecheanyi, who also heads the Moldova-Russia interparliamentary friendship group, MP Andrei Neguta, who is a member of the parliamentary commission on foreign policy and European integration, and governor of Gagauzia Irina Vlah. Igor Dodon will also be accompanied by his adviser on reintegration matters Vasili Sova and adviser on political issues Ion Ceban, who is also his spokesman, as well as by Moldova’s Ambassador to Russia Dumitru Braghis and minister-consultant at the Embassy Nicolae Myinea.
On January 12, the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family of Moldova signed a social security agreement with the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of Germany. Under the agreement, the Moldovans who will work legally in Germany for a period of at least five years and will contribute to the federal social insurance budget will be entitled to a pension from the German state.
In the first meeting of the Joint Control Commission this year, which was held on January 13, the members agreed to initiate the process of working out a mechanism for monitoring the situation in the Security Zone and to optimize the activity of military observers so that, at the request of one of the senior military chiefs of the peacekeeping forces, these mandatorily travel to the scene.
Also on January 13, the European Commission granted a request by the Republic of Moldova by proposing a Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) program of up to €100 million. Up to €40 million of the MFA would be provided in grants and up to €60 million in medium-term loans at favorable financing conditions. MFA loans are financed through EU borrowing on capital markets. The funds are then on-lent with similar financial terms to the beneficiary countries. MFA grants come from the EU budget. The proposed EU MFA requires adoption by the European Parliament and the Council before it can come into effect and disbursements can be made. The new assistance would be disbursed in three installments in 2017 and 2018.
The credit rating agency Moody's on January 13 changed the outlook for Moldova from B3 negative to B3 stable, which includes Moldova in the category of states with high credit risk and speculative investment grade. Moody's ranks the creditworthiness of borrowers using a standardized ratings scale which measures expected investor loss in the event of default. In the ratings system of Moody's, securities are assigned a rating from Aaa to C, with Aaa being the highest quality and C the lowest quality. Romania has the country rating of Baa3 positive, while Ukraine Caa3 stable. According to tradingeconomics.com, Moldova had the best position on the rating scale of Moody's in February 2009 - B1 negative.
Selection by Anastasia Rusu, IPN
