Moldova’s former president, socialist Igor Dodon, remains under house arrest until September 22. Judges of the Chisinau Court of Appeals rejected on Monday, August 29, the appeal of Igor Dodon’s lawyers to annul the measure of house arrest imposed on Dodon by the decision of the Chisinau Ciocana Court on July 18.

The judges of the Chisinau Court of Appeal also rejected the appeal of the prosecutors concerning the “tightening of the conditions of house arrest”, Nicolae Posturusu, one of Igor Dodon’s lawyers, told Ziarul de Gardă.

“We requested that the appeal court intervene in the hierarchical order and adjust this arrest warrant to the rigors provided by law. The evidence presented confirms the risk of interference in the criminal prosecution, of destruction of evidence, of committing new crimes, of interaction with other persons involved in the criminal case against Igor Dodon.

(…) Between 26 May and 10 June 2022, Igor Dodon made more than 700 calls, received more than 36 SMS messages, made more than 600 Internet connections from his mobile phone, actions that are not known to the prosecution, with whom he interacted. Possibly also with persons involved in the criminal case. In this regard, the prosecution will take all actions and if it establishes certain violations, then it will intervene in the order provided by law,” said prosecutor Petru Iarmaliuc.

The hearing at the Chisinau Court of Appeal was due to take place on Thursday 25 August, but was postponed at the request of Igor Dodon’s lawyers, in order to take cognisance of the prosecution’s appeal on “tightening the conditions of house arrest”.

On 18 August 2022, the magistrates of the Chisinau Ciocana Court admitted the prosecutors’ request and ordered the extension of the preventive measure in the form of house arrest for 30 days for the former President of Moldova, Igor Dodon. According to the magistrates, the measure applies until 22 September. At the time, Igor Dodon’s lawyer Nicolae Posturusu said the decision would be challenged because “We have not seen arguments for the extension”.

Subsequently, on 20 August, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office carried out searches at the home of the accountant of the Party of Socialists of Moldova (PSRM). As a result of the searches, the accountant’s mobile phone, documents and computer devices were found and seized by prosecutors, which will be examined.

On August 17, the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office announced that more than 2 million lei, money found during searches of Dodon’s home and his mother, Galina Dodon, were seized for “possible special or extended confiscation”

“We point out that, in support of the alleged risks, the prosecutors presented new evidence, recently administered on 08 and 10 August 2022, as well as previously administered on 21 June 2022, which in conjunction with the results of the special investigative measures, confirm the merits of the alleged risks. Other non-custodial preventive measures such as provisional release under judicial supervision are not capable of preventing the risks referred to above and ensuring the proper conduct of the criminal proceedings,” the AP claims.

On 9 August, the Prosecutor General’s Office announced that it had completed the criminal prosecution of former Moldovan President Igor Dodon, who is the subject of the criminal case, generically referred to as “Energocom”.

Officials from the Prosecutor General’s Office announce that the accused and his defenders have appeared before prosecutors from the Prosecutor General’s Office, where they were informed in the manner provided by law about the end of the prosecution actions.