Municipal police level new accusations at mayor general

Deputy police commissioner of Chisinau municipality Iacob Gumenita accused Dorin Chirtoaca of not coordinating the authorisation of protests with the police and of liquidating the consultative commission that should make such decisions, breaking thus the present legislation. He made the accusations at Monday’s meeting of the City Hall. The mayor general did not reply to Gumenita’s accusations. But the head of the Humanitarian Assistance and Interethnic Relations Division, Nina Stratulat, stressed that the mayor was empowered by the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) to make decisions about meetings and protests by himself. Despite this, the consultative commission set up by the Council works, while representatives of the police attend most of the meetings. The deputy commissioner expressed his indignation at the fact that though the mayor said he is ready to cooperate with the municipal police, the decisions related to the holding of protests in the municipality that he makes show that opposite. According to Gumenita, as a result of such decisions, the police encounter difficulties in maintaining public order in the municipality as they are taken without consulting the police. Iacob Gumenita referred to the protest held by the public organisation “Salvgardare” (“Safeguard), headed by Maia Laguta, in the Great National Assembly Square on January 18. He said that the mayor authorised the organisation to hold the protest on a working day. “During four hours, the institutions located nearby could not work properly owing to the sounds emitted by ten bullhorns,” the cited source said. Also, Gumenita accused the mayor of authorising last December a protest of the organisation “Desteptarea” (“Awakening”), which is not even registered. He also said that the mayor conducts secret talks with the president of the Small Business Association Eugen Roscovan over the authorisation of a protest in the Great National Assembly Square and on Stephan the Great Boulevard on January 22. Iacob Gumenita was invited to the meeting of the consultative commission for authorising mass protests that will take place on January 23. Twenty-five applications filed by citizens will be considered at the meeting.