The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA) informs that on Tuesday, February 20, a new court hearing was held in the case of fugitive MP Ilan Shor, sentenced in 2017 to prison for fraud, during which his defenders filed five requests (two to stop the trial, one to declare the nullity of the evidence and two to oblige the prosecutor to present new information).

Also, according to the PA, the foreign lawyer admitted to the trial filed a request for an additional period to be granted to examine the materials of the criminal case, which was rejected by the court.

“(…) The lawyers submitted a request for recusal of the judge-rapporteur, although the rejection of the request was ordered by the full court. On 21 February 2023, the application for recusal was rejected as unfounded. We reiterate that the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office qualifies the actions of the defense party as an attempt to intentionally delay the examination of the case and insists on the good faith use by the defense party of the procedural weapons granted by law,” the Prosecutor’s Office’s statement reads.

The next hearing in the “Shor” case has been set for March 3, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.

Fugitive MP Ilan Shor is defended by five lawyers, according to the AP, and according to Article 70(6) of the Code of Criminal Procedure “procedural actions in which the participation of the defence counsel is required cannot be considered to have been carried out in violation of the rules of criminal procedure if not all the defenders of the party in question participated in their performance”.

From November 2022 to date, court hearings have been adjourned several times at the request of the defence, the case being at the stage where the defence party is to present its arguments in support of its appeal claims.

On 12 June 2019, Shor held a final press conference. It was just two days before the Democratic Party of Moldova cede power and move to the opposition. Subsequently, on 30 July 2019, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that Ilan Shor had illegally left Moldova and was put under national and international search.

In June 2022, ZdG wrote that it had been three years since Ilan Șor, the deputy of the “Șor” political party, who is under investigation in the “bank fraud” case, left Moldova. During this period, Șor, who lost his parliamentary immunity for the second time in May this year, appeared in numerous videos posted on his Facebook page in which he launched several attacks on the ruling party and Moldovan President Maia Sandu. Although he is a member of parliament, Shor has not attended any of the meetings called by parliament.

In the “bank fraud” case, Shor is charged on nine counts.