Those responsible for including Anatolie Tofan on the Communist Party's list of candidates for the Chisinau City Council will be punished, PCRM president Vladimir Voronin told reporters on Saturday. Days before the mayoral runoff in Chisinau, information appeared that Anatolie Tofan had been convicted for raping and murdering a 12-year-old girl. Tofan denied the information, saying he would sue “the slanderers”. Later, Tofan announced he was giving up the Council seat he won on the PCRM's slate in order to protect the party's reputation. Vladimir Voronin denied categorically reports that it was a PCRM insider who disagreed with Igor Dodon's candidacy for Mayor that leaked the information about Tofan. “God forbid, such things do not happen in our party. Tofan's case has nothing to do with Igor Dodon's campaign. Those responsible will be punished, because that person should have been verified carefully”. When Igor Dodon lost narrowly the mayoral race to incumbent Dorin Chirtoaca on June 19, political pundits suggested that it was the scandal around Anatolie Tofan that made the difference. Some also suggested that internal party rivalry was behind the scandal. On Saturday, the Communist Party held a general assembly, behind closed doors.