“We will go to the ECHR because here we do not have other possibilities,” the suspended mayor of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca said after the hearing scheduled for August 24, where the court was to pronounce on the removal of lawyers Gheorghe Malic and Tatiana Iovu from the trial. The judge of inquiry decided that the judge of the ordinary court of law will examine the complaints submitted by Dorin Chirtoaca’s lawyers as regards the order to take legal action against their client and to remove them, IPN reports.
“We will go to the ECHR with this matter because the removal of lawyers is a violation of the basic rights of any person. No matter whether the person is to blame or not, no one can remove the lawyers,” stated Dorin Chirtoaca, noting that the courts of law fear to take legal decisions.
“It is evident that the court fears to take attitude to such issues as the removal of lawyers because a file full of illegalities will be compiled this way. A lot of heroism will be needed to break this vicious circle. It is evident that they are looking for something with the microscope. In ten years of mayoralty, they found only a signature put by me for an urbanism certificate”.
The suspended mayor noted that the court avoided pronouncing a solution and the pressure will now be put on the judge who will take a decision and will have to reject the accusations of traffic of influence and to pronounce on the removal of lawyers and on the taking of legal action, and this is a too heavy burden for one person.
For his part, the prosecutor said Chirtoaca’s lawyers were removed because they delayed the process of examining the case and created impediments. The court argued it is within the competence of the ordinary court of law to pronounce on the removal of lawyers and on the order to take legal action.
Dorin Chirtoaca was arrested on May 25 on charges of passive corruption and influence peddling. In two days he was placed under house arrest. On July 21, the prosecutors sent to court the case against the mayor. Dorin Chirtoaca pleads not guilty.
