Ion Creangă, accused of treason, does not plead guilty
The suspended head of the Parliament's Legal Department, Ion Creangă, suspected of treason, appeared in court today, October 3, after missing previous hearings due to health issues. For over an hour, Creangă read through dozens of pages in his defense, extensively arguing why he believes he is innocent. He is hopeful for an acquittal. The next hearing will continue with the defendant's final statements and the prosecutors' questions.
Ion Creangă declares himself innocent and claims that the accusations brought against him are political.
"- Why didn't you show up for the last hearings? - I went to the hospital. - What decision do you expect? - An acquittal. He accuses me in public discussions. Is this normal? Is this normal to be prosecuted? This limits the right to expression, to thought, it is something out of the ordinary and we have presented our arguments on the respective accusations", said Ion Creangă.
A decision in the case file in which Creangă is accused of treason is expected to be pronounced by the end of the year, according to the prosecutor in the case.
"- Will we have a conclusion in this case this year? - I hope so. If the defendant shows up, I think so. We already have three hearings. There is enough time to finalize it", mentioned the prosecutor in the case, Dumitru Ștefârță.
Currently, the suspended head of the Parliament's Legal Department, Ion Creangă, is under judicial control and is prohibited from leaving Chișinău.
He was detained on July 31, 2024, after allegedly transmitting classified information to the assistant to the military attaché of the Russian Federation. According to prosecutors, the data provided concerned national security and defense, and was later used in public speeches by Russian officials.
If found guilty of treason, Ion Creangă risks a prison sentence of between 15 and 20 years.
