The suspended mayor of Chisinau, Ion Ceban, announced on Monday, October 16, that he has filed a complaint with the Prosecutor General’s Office (PG) for “checking the actions of the General Police Inspectorate (IGP) management”. For their part, IGP representatives claim that policemen “who have been publicly humiliated, being accused of intentionally creating traffic jams in the capital” have filed a complaint accusing Ion Ceban of slander.

The announcement by the representative of the Chisinau City Hall and the IGP comes three days after the candidate of the National Alternative Movement (MAN) party for a new mandate as the capital’s mayor accused the Moldovan police of being responsible for the traffic jams in the capital. In response, the IGP announced on Friday, 13 October, that all police crews that had been smoothing road traffic had been withdrawn.

This time, Ion Ceban accuses that “the response of the IGP management on Friday evening was unprofessional, unacceptable and more akin to a personal whim”. In this context, IGP representatives repeatedly ask “to avoid involving the police in the electoral PR of political actors”.

“(…) The area had no recorded traffic accidents, no road closures and no roads under repair. I’m sure the policemen are not to blame, probably these are the indications of their superiors. The response of the IGP management on Friday evening was unprofessional, unacceptable and more akin to a personal whim. As if to say “I’m upset and I’m taking my toys and I’m going”.

This would come as, we as a local government, when criticism was brought up that a road, or a sidewalk is done non-compliant, and I would say “If you don’t like it, I’ll stop doing this sidewalk or road and get off your street”. We are in the service of the citizens, to do our work fairly and with dignity. Everyone should know this and if I have reported about a problem, it should be checked, but not to be declared upset (…),” Ceban said in a post on his Facebook page.

Reached by Ziarul de Gardă, Diana Fetco, head of the communication and protocol section of the General Police Inspectorate (IGP), said that patrol officers who were accused of intentionally creating traffic jams in the capital have filed a complaint accusing the suspended mayor of slander.

“(…) At the same time, we recommend that the Local Public Administration, and in particular its leader, comply with Article 29 of the Local Public Administration Act No. 436 of 2006 (including paragraph 1, letter “l” of this article), which clearly stipulates that the organization of road traffic is a basic task of the Local Public Administration and is a direct responsibility of the mayor. We remind you that, according to the Police Activity Regulation no. 547 of 2019, (point 9, subpoint 1, letter “c”), the Police is responsible for the supervision and control of road traffic and not for the fluidity of road traffic which is the responsibility of the Local Public Administration (…)”, said Diana Fetco.

On Friday 13 October, the suspended mayor of Chisinau, Ion Ceban, accused the Moldovan police of being responsible for the traffic jams in the capital. In a live intervention on his Facebook page, the candidate of the National Alternative Movement (MAN) party for a new mandate as the capital’s head said that “patrolling agents artificially create this problem”.

Shortly after that statement, IGP representatives said that all police teams that were fluidifying road traffic had been withdrawn and drones were to be lifted “to show the real situation and how traffic is circulating without the involvement of law enforcement officers”.

With the start of the new school year, long traffic jams are constantly forming on the streets of the capital.