Former Chisinau mayor Dorin Chirtoaca was acquitted by the first court on Thursday, December 22, on charges in the paid parking case. The announcement was made by the former mayor on his Facebook page, where he attached the sentence. In addition, according to the interlocutory judgment, the court will inform the superior prosecutor that in the case of Dorin Chirtoaca, “significant indications have been established which attest to derogations from the principle of procedural loyalty, the principle of loyalty in the administration of evidence and the principle of finding the truth”.

According to a statement by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, the sentence is to be challenged by the state prosecutor.

The decision was taken by Judge Alexandru Negru of the Buiucani court in Chisinau.

Thus, according to documents published by the mayor, the court decided that Dorin Chirtoaca “acquits himself on the charges of committing the offences provided for in art. 42 para. (2) (participation), 326 par. (3) (a) (influence peddling) and art. 324 para. (3) (a) and (b) (passive bribery of a person in a position of public dignity, in particularly high proportions) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Moldova, in connection with the failure to meet in his acts, all the mandatory elements of the components of the offence that have been criminalized”.

At the same time, Chirtoaca “considers himself rehabilitated on the charges in question, with the revocation of all measures of constraint applied against him”.

“Naturally, the case of the undersigned should be part of the file opened against the criminal group led by Plahotniuc, Dodon and Shor, and the prosecutors put by them, because it is one of their transgressions,” the former mayor wrote on his social media page.

The fully motivated sentence is to be handed to the parties on 16 January 2023, when it can be appealed to the Chisinau Court of Appeal within 15 days.

Earlier, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA) informed that the present criminal case was sent to court in July 2017, “the accusation being formulated in the fact that, Dorin Chirtoaca, exercising the function of general mayor of the municipality of Chisinau, committed by participation as a perpetrator the crime of influence peddling, having signed the public-private partnership contract between the City Hall of the municipality of Chisinau and the City Hall of the municipality of Chisinau. Chisinau and the non-resident EME Parkleitsystem GmbH, without the approval of the draft contract by the Chisinau Municipal Council”.

Dorin Chirtoaca has also been charged with the offence of passive corruption.

“He, in the period July-December 2016 and February 2017, positively approved six urban planning certificates for the design of parking lots under the public-private partnership contract named above. At the same time, as illicit remuneration, he represented 26% of the share capital of the company that was to be designated the winner, in exchange for initiating and subsequently supporting the project, which was to be shared equally with another participant,” the PA said.

On this case, by the Decision of 30.01.2018 of the Enlarged Criminal Panel, the sentence of conviction of the defendant Gamrețki Igor was upheld, it being indicated that , “According to the file works, it is attested that, the actions of the defendant Gamrețki Igor were framed under Article 326 paragraph (3) letter a) CPRM, finally being justified convicted for the commission of the crime of influence peddling, with the receipt of goods or advantages in particularly large proportions.”