UPDATE // Officials suspected of spying for the interests of the Russian Federation, placed in custody for 30 days
An employee of the Parliament and an official of the Border Police - suspected of espionage and conspiracy against the Republic of Moldova, will spend the next 30 days in penitentiary no. 13. The decision was taken by the magistrates of the Chisinau Court based in Ciocana on August 2, in the absence of the accused.
UPDATE 15:15: The border policeman investigated for the plot against the Republic of Moldova in the interest of the Russian Federation has been placed in preventive detention. He will spend the next 30 days in Penitentiary no. 13, under the decision of the magistrates.
UPDATE 12:47: The Head of the Legal Department of the Parliament, Ion Creangă, suspected of treason in the interest of the Russian Federation, will spend the next 30 days in Penitentiary no. 13. The decision was taken by the magistrates of the Central Court based in Ciocana in the absence of the suspect. He cited health reasons.
"He has a poor state of health and, accordingly, I presented a confirmatory document to the court and requested that he be examined in absentia. The client did not accept, at the moment, to offer any statements and to tell his position", said Gheorghe Ionaș, Ion Creangă's lawyer.
The decision on the case of the border policeman was not ruled, for now. His lawyer says he opted for a milder measure.
"I opted for a non-custodial measure, but in the situation where the court decides that my client would be isolated, they apply the preventive measure of house arrest. He is in shock. He still does not understand what is happening and he does not admit his guilt", said for Teleradio-Moldova Adrian Istrati, lawyer.
UPDATE: 11:40: Case prosecutor Vitalie Chișcă told Teleradio-Moldova that Ion Creangă is being investigated for treason. According to the evidence, he would have charged between 200 and 2000 euros for the information provided to the employee of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Chisinau. It would be, in particular, information regarding the activity of the Legislative, draft laws, as well as personal information. The official does not make statements to law enforcement agencies, the case prosecutor said.
The border policeman is being investigated for plotting against the Republic of Moldova. He does not admit his guilt, said PCCOCS prosecutor Vitalie Chișcă.
"It is, first of all, information related to the activity of the institution of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, certain legislative projects and more. Being documented and caught in the act, i.e. at the time of the conspiratorial meeting between the citizen of Moldova and that of the Russian Federation, other data were disclosed in the communication. According to the special investigative measures, it appears that information classified as a state secret was also transmitted. Remuneration received for assignments that were drawn were documented. The amounts would vary, for example, starting from 500 to 2000 dollars". UPDATE 10:47: The magistrates of the Chisinau Court based in Ciocana are currently examining the prosecutors' approach, who are asking for 30 days of arrest on behalf of two officials - an employee of the Parliament and another of the Border Police - suspected of espionage in favor of Russia. The meeting takes place in the absence of the suspects, at their request.
INITIAL NEWS: The Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS) demands 30 days of arrest for the head of the Legal Department of the Parliament, Ion Creangă, and the border policeman, suspected of espionage and conspiracy against the Republic of Moldova. The action will be examined starting at 11 o'clock, by the magistrates of the Chisinau Court based in Ciocana.
"PCCOCS prosecutors requested 30 days of arrest for both accused, in the case announced on Wednesday. The actions of the specialized prosecutors were submitted in the second half of Thursday. The court is yet to rule on these preventive measures, in order to carry out the investigations objectively", said the spokesperson of PCCOCS, Emil Gaitur, for Teleradio-Moldova. According to the law, until the file is sent to court, followed by the ruling of a final sentence, people benefit from the presumption of innocence.
We remind you that PCCOCS prosecutors and SIS officers raided Parliament on July 31. As a result, the head of the Legal Directorate of the Parliament, Ion Creangă, and a border policeman were detained for 72 hours, for espionage and conspiracy against our country.
They are suspected of having provided information that could have harmed the interests of the Republic of Moldova to an employee of the Russian Embassy in Chisinau.
Creangă and the IGPF employee were suspended from their positions, during the investigations, and the Embassy employee – declared persona non grata.
This is the second case of espionage in the Republic of Moldova, in the last two months.
