The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA) announces that on August 30, 2022, the Chisinau Ciocana Court examined and rejected as unfounded the request of the lawyers of the former President of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Dodon, on granting Dodon permission to leave his residence in order to participate on September 1, 2022, live in the “Fourth Power” (Puterea a Patra) show on the N4 TV channel.

According to the PA, the investigating judge of the Ciocana Court of Chișinău dismissed the request of Igor Dodon’s lawyers as unfounded, because the request to participate in the N4 TV channel cannot be considered “an exceptional personal circumstance”.

“According to the application submitted by the lawyers of the former head of state, they requested the court’s permission for the latter to leave his home in order to participate live on 01.09.2022 in the “Fourth Power” broadcast on the N4 TV channel. In the grounds of the request, the lawyers argued that the person they represent is a public person, being a former President of the Republic of Moldova and the leader of the parliamentary opposition, as well as being involved in political activity in the country, and that giving a live interview to the television station indicated would not contravene the obligations and restrictions imposed by the court order of 18 August 2022.

For his part, the prosecutor in the case requested that the application be dismissed as unfounded. Therefore, as a result of the examination of the above-mentioned application, the investigating judge of the Chisinau Ciocana Court ordered its rejection as unfounded. The court reasoned its decision that the request to participate in the N4 TV channel cannot be considered as an exceptional personal circumstance,” the PA announced.

In this case, according to the Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office, the investigating judge applied the legal rule provided for in Article 302(4) of the Enforcement Code, according to which a person under house arrest, if he/she needs to leave the house due to exceptional personal circumstances, shall submit a reasoned request to the investigating judge who ordered the measure.

“Thus, in this case, the court held that participation in a television programme did not constitute an exceptional personal circumstance which would allow the person under house arrest to leave his home. The investigating judge’s decision is subject to appeal to the Chisinau Court of Appeal within 3 days”, the PA announced.

The moderator of the TV show “The Fourth Power” on N4 TV channel Gheorghe Gonța announced that the guest of the show on September 1 is the former president of the country, Igor Dodon, who is under house arrest.

On 18 August 2022, the magistrates of the Chisinau Court, Ciocana seat, 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”.