​ILAN SHOR REFUSES TO WITNESS AGAINST VLAD FLAT

Well-known businessman Ilan Shor refused to give evidence as witness in the case of former Premier Vlad Filat, said businessman’s lawyer Igor Popa commenting on the results of the Saturday’s meeting in the Appeals Chamber.

According to him, Ilan Shor, who is currently under house arrest on accusation of stealing money from the banking system, was brought to the Appeals Chamber, which is considering the Filat’s case on petitions of prosecutors and the defense. However, he refused to give evidences, neither confirming nor refuting his testimony in the first instance court.

“We consider that today prosecutors have lost an important and practically the only witness. Shor refused to give evidences, explaining that it may damage his interests. I have been saying that he cannot be witness in this case since the very beginning. Given that Ilan Shor is the single witness on most of accusation items against Vlad Filat and is not making any statements, Appeals Chamber has nothing else to do but to release Vlad Filat”, the lawyer said.

As for statements of former Customs Service head Tudor Balitchi, the lawyer said that he stated he never conducted any inspections in Shor’s company Dufremol and never received any orders from Vlad Filat in this regard.

“This again demonstrates that Vlad Filat is being kept in detention illegally and that this case has been fabricated. We think that in the nearest future, the Appeals Chamber will revise the first instance court decision”, the lawyer said.

The next Appeals Chamber sitting is appointed for October 25.