U.S. welcomes ex-defence minister’s release

The United States of America welcomes the release from detention of the former Defence Minister Valeriu Pasat. Ambassador Michael Kirby told a TV show on DTV channel that the United States of America is pleased with this decision. “With the lawsuit over, we have finally got over a situation which shouldn’t have occurred in the Moldovan-American relations. I believe Russia is also pleased to see Pasat free”, the U.S. diplomat emphasised. Michael Kirby considers that at least in what concerns the sale of the MIG fighters, the case of Pasat was complicated and unclear. “It was strange to find that the defence minister, who negotiated on behalf of the government, was arrested for a transaction which was open and for which the USA paid a consistent sum of money”, the diplomat mentioned. In his words, USA bought the MIGs from Moldova because it wanted to make sure that the aircraft do not fall into wrong hands. “This way we made sure that the MIGs are not used for hostile purposes”, Kirby said. Referring to the procedure of Pasat’s release, the head of the diplomatic mission said he can not comment on reports of foreign pressure. “I know that for several months, the lawyers for Pasat insisted to release him, but I can not say whether this is a simple coincidence or not”, the ambassador said. After an imprisonment of over 2 years, ex-Defence Minister Valeriu Pasat was released on Monday, July 9, following an order by the Court of Appeals. Pasat, supposed to spend 10 years in jail, was acquitted of the charge concerning the sale of aircraft and amnestied for the sale of the reactive fight systems “Uragan” and of the missiles for them, for which the former minister was sentenced to 5 years in jail.