Cases of Papuc and Botnari have been merged

The cases of the former Minister of the Interior Gheorghe Papuc and former police commissioner of Chisinau Vladimir Botnari were combined into one. The court pronounced the decision on June 16, Info-Prim Neo reports. The application to merge the cases were submitted by the lawyers for Papuc and Botnari. Mihai Murzac and Gheorghe Avornic asked that the case be examined by three judges, not one as at present. “If there will be three lawyers, it will not be possible to influence all of them. I don't know if I will be acquitted or not, but the evidence that will be presented in court will prove my innocence,” Gheorghe Papuc said. Judge Constantin Uratu said the lawyers' request to constitute a panel consisting of three judges will be examined by the president of the court. Gheorghe Papuc and Vladimir Botnari stand trial for misconduct in office during the April 2009 protests that resulted in the death of Valeriu Boboc and over the appropriation of funds from the Ministry of the Interior.