Paid parking case: Chirtoacă calls it a “bitter victory”
The former mayor of Chisinau, Dorin Chirtoacă, was acquitted by the Centru Court of Appeal in the paid parking case. He described the outcome as "a bitter victory" and mentioned that he does not rule out the possibility of continuing the trial if the decision is challenged at the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ). Meanwhile, the accusers have not yet made a decision, stating that "The Prosecutor's Office will analyze the feasibility of contesting the decision within the legal deadline."
In a video message published on his Facebook page, Dorin Chirtoacă stated that the June 5 decision from the Centru Court of Appeal confirms his acquittal from the lower court, emphasizing that the case against him, filed in 2017, was "fabricated." The court also called for a criminal investigation into the actions of the prosecutors and investigating officers involved.
"I don't feel joy; I feel anger. Why? Because the price I paid is too high. No one can restore these ten lost years, no one can bring back the wasted energy, and no one can return the close people I lost," Chirtoacă expressed.
The former mayor views the rulings in the paid parking case as "a beginning," rather than a clear sign of justice.
"I believe this reflects a shift where judges in the Republic of Moldova are starting to show the courage to oppose the prosecutors. Some prosecutors, at least, act as if they are above the law, like a mafia, attempting to pressure judges to strictly follow their narrative. When that doesn't happen, they fabricate cases or intimidate judges through other means," Chirtoacă commented.
When contacted by Teleradio-Moldova, the press officer of the Prosecutor General's Office, Violina Moraru, chose not to respond to the accusations made by the former mayor. Regarding the Court of Appeal's decision in the parking case, she stated, "The Prosecutor's Office will determine whether to challenge the decision within the legal timeframe."*
The criminal case against Dorin Chirtoacă stemmed from a project aimed at developing and managing public parking lots through a public-private partnership.
In April 2017, prosecutors and anti-corruption officers conducted searches at Chisinau City Hall, citing suspicions that the process for selecting a private partner had been improperly influenced and that the agreement lacked necessary approvals from the Chisinau Municipal Council.
In May, the project was suspended, and a few weeks later, Dorin Chirtoacă was detained and charged with influence peddling.
Following a lengthy trial, the lower court acquitted Dorin Chirtoacă in December 2022, and the Central Court of Appeal upheld the acquittal on June 5 of this year.
