The first hearing in the Energocom case was postponed to October 6, the reason being the absence of judge Alexandru Negru, who was “delegated to training courses”. Former President Igor Dodon, accused of overstepping his duties, who is under house arrest on another criminal case, was present in the courtroom.

Former Socialist President Igor Dodon was expected to attend the first court hearing in the “Energocom” case at the Buiucani court in Chisinau on Monday, September 26. In this criminal case, the former head of state is charged with the offence of “overstepping his official duties by a person of public dignity in the interest of an organised criminal group”. On Friday, September 9, the Prosecutor General’s Office (PG) announced that the criminal case against former Moldovan President Igor Dodon has been sent to the Buiucani court in Chisinau for examination on the merits.

The indictment against Igor Dodon relates to his actions during 2008-2009, when he was First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy and Trade.

More specifically, Dodon is accused of having, from his position as First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy and Trade, in May 2008, signed the opinion that favoured the conclusion of a contract for the purchase of electricity for the Russian Federation by the General Director of Energocom SA with a foreign Hungarian company. Moldova, in a volume of 2,320,000,000 kw/h, for the period May 2008 – June 2009, contrary to the legal provisions which at that time covered the activity of the central public authority for energy management in the person of the Ministry of Economy and Trade and in particular the functional powers of the Minister of Economy and Trade.

“At the same time, these actions led to the increase of electricity tariffs, affecting the rights of final consumers, citizens of the Republic of Moldova,” the PG claims.

Thus, according to the provisions of the contract concluded with the foreign company, the price of electricity for the period May-September 2008 inclusive was 0.053 US dollars for 1 kw/h, and 0.058 US dollars for 1 kw/h for electricity delivered in the period from October 2008 to June 2009 inclusive, although Energocom SA had already negotiated and concluded two contracts for the supply of electricity at a price 29% cheaper.

According to the accusers, as a result of these actions, the State, in the person of SA ,,Energocom”, was caused particularly high damages of more than 11 million US dollars, equivalent to about 124 million lei, money that was later transferred to the accounts of offshore companies.

The Prosecutor General’s Office notes that the criminal prosecution obtained evidence proving the “damaging nature” of the electricity purchase contract concluded to the detriment of state interests, namely the existence at that time of electricity supply contracts concluded by ЗАО ,,Молдавская ГРЭС” with foreign economic agents at prices much lower than the purchase price of electricity by JSC “Energocom” from the foreign company in Hungary, which was delivered through the electricity networks of the R. Moldova on the basis of an agent contract between SA “Energocom” as executor and ЗАО ,,Молдавская ГРЭС” as customer.