Boldurești mayor case: "Justice must act swiftly"
Justice should expedite the case involving Nicanor Ciochină, the mayor of Boldurești, who was re-elected on June 1 despite being under criminal investigation for the murder of a 14-year-old child. Minister of Justice Veronica Mihailov-Moraru expressed support for the fact that this criminal case is progressing in court.
"There have been several hearings, and many have been postponed. The positive news is that the examination of the criminal case is at an advanced stage, and several consecutive hearings are scheduled for the next three months. We are currently discussing with representatives from the prosecutor's office and the judiciary. While the Ministry of Justice can monitor the situation and improve the legislation as needed, the actual delivery of justice must be carried out by the judges," stated the Minister of Justice after Thursday's Government meeting.
Regarding the petition initiated in the public domain to amend the law so that individuals under criminal investigation for murder cannot run for public office, Veronica Mihailov-Moraru indicated that this initiative will be reviewed.
"I would like to point out that in recent years, national electoral legislation has been amended, and a new Electoral Code has been adopted, which has also been reviewed by the Venice Commission. The conditions under which candidates can participate in elections are, in principle, similar to those in other countries. We understand the context in which this petition is submitted. I share the public's concern regarding this tragic and regrettable case concerning the conduct of the elections and the procedures. A request for the recount of votes has been submitted to the electoral bodies, and we are awaiting their decision," added the Minister of Justice.
In the same context, Veronica Mihailov-Moraru said that "the criminal procedure legislation already allows, upon the prosecutor's request, for individuals in positions of responsibility, or those being investigated for cases related to their official functions, to be suspended from their posts.
We recall that on Wednesday, representatives from the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) ordered a recount of the ballots from the June 1 elections for the mayor of the Boldurești commune, Nisporeni, which Nicanor Ciochină won with 50.53% of the votes.
Ciochină is accused of fatally injuring a 14-year-old teenager from the same village on the evening of February 19, 2024, and fleeing the scene of the crime. He attempted to erase the traces of the accident and avoided criminal prosecution. The mayor could face up to seven years in prison for this charge, and an additional two years for leaving the scene."
