{"id":3722,"date":"2020-06-24T19:20:18","date_gmt":"2020-06-24T16:20:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zdg.md\/en\/?p=3722"},"modified":"2020-06-29T19:25:23","modified_gmt":"2020-06-29T16:25:23","slug":"the-anticorruption-prosecutors-office-concluded-the-investigation-regarding-the-back-plastic-bag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zdg.md\/en\/the-anticorruption-prosecutors-office-concluded-the-investigation-regarding-the-back-plastic-bag\/","title":{"rendered":"The Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office Concluded the Investigation Regarding the Back Plastic Bag"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After an undercover video from the meeting between President Igor Dodon and the country\u2019s bigger oligarch, Vladimir Plahotniuc went viral, the former Minister of Internal Affairs, Andrei N\u0103stase, filed a complaint to the Anticorruption Prosecutor\u2019s Office and the deputy of the Dignity and Truth Platform Party, Iurie Reni\u021b\u0103 submitted a denunciation to the institution. In the video, Plahotniuc brought a black plastic bag, which according to Reni\u021b\u0103 contained cash. Dodon claims that the pictures are manipulative, but he does not recall what was in the bag.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One month after the <\/strong>Anticorruption Prosecutor\u2019s Office began examining the materials, the institution decided not to open an investigation, stating that the deeds of the persons concerned in the records do not meet the elements of any crime.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On June 24, the Office of the Prosecutor General concluded the criminal trial initiated based on two denunciations. The Office of the Prosecutor General examined the undercover video presented on May 18, 2020, by deputy Reni\u021b\u0103 and the new video presented on June 5, 2020, by deputies Reni\u021b\u0103 and Lilian Carp, vice president of the Action and Solidarity Party. The institution also examined the anonymous letter with the so-called receipts for money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the criminal trial, the Anticorruption Prosecutor\u2019s Office heard both whistleblowers. The institution mentioned that the author of the anonymous letter with the alleged receipts did not respond to the summons to appear with the promised details in the press. At the same time, the institution examined Carp\u2019s allegations that the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office allegedly held for a long time the video recordings that were examined during this criminal trial. The Anticorruption Prosecutor\u2019s Office stated that Carp\u2019s allegations were not confirmed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result of the examination of the material accumulated during the criminal trial, the institution decided not to start the criminal investigation on the grounds that the deeds of the persons concerned in the records do not meet the elements of any crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The institution also mentioned that during the criminal trial, it was not possible to establish the contents of the black plastic bag, and the person who filmed the video, which is a determining fact for the criminal investigation and the submission of a criminal accusation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Prosecutor’s Office stated that it established the judicial truth based on legal evidence, while the possibilities to administer other evidence were exhausted at the moment. The institution added that the current decision may be reviewed. And the criminal proceedings may be resumed, if in the future, the Prosecutor’s Office will be provided with certain relevant information or evidence that would affect the validity of the current decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, the respective criminal case was closed as a result of the analysis of the factual circumstances and the assessment of the legal evidence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe reiterate, however unpopular the decisions of the Prosecutor’s Office would be, they will continue to be based on the judicial truth established by exhaustive means of evidence provided by law and not on assumptions. The decisions of the Prosecutor’s Office will be based and motivated only on factual and legal circumstances certainly and objectively appreciated, and impartial,\u201d<\/em> the representatives of the institution mentioned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On May 18, Reni\u021b\u0103 unveiled an undercover video from the meeting between Dodon and Plahotniuc. The meeting took place in June 2019. In the video, Plahotniuc brought a black plastic bag, which according to Reni\u021b\u0103 contained cash. Although Dodon claimed that the pictures are manipulative, he didn\u2019t recall what was in the bag. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Reni\u021b\u0103, the bag would\u2019ve contained around 600,000 – 800,000 euros. The alleged money was for remunerating the members of the Socialist Party. <\/p>\n\n\n\n