The former vice-chairman of ASCOM insurance company, Andrei Bastovoi and his son Valentin, have sued the Ministry of Justice, over the fact that the Moldovan law enforcement bodies did not permit them to leave the country.

Andrei Bastovoi said on Wednesday at a news conference in Infotag that no official restriction in this respect has been given to them. This fact was also confirmed by the officer on duty of the Moldovan Border Police, Eduard Marchitan.

“On December 6 evening, after crossing the border zone of the Chisinau International Airport and after getting all the needed stamps in our passports, we were stopped by the head of the Border Police, in the neutral zone. He confiscated our passports, without giving any explanations on the matter. An hour later, after the plane had flown, they returned our passports and said that there were no reasons for apprehending us. We made a new attempt to quit the country, this time to Istanbul. Yet, even the second time, we were not allowed to cross the border area, as the police officers told us that we are recorded as travel-banned people in their database,” said Bastavoi.

He said that in line with the Moldovan legislation, people who are not allowed to travel abroad must be announced about this ahead of time. Moreover, the people in question must put their signature on the document.

“I have no official document that forbids me to travel abroad. Talking to representatives of the border police I understood that they had no choice, as they were acting at the instructions given by phone by prosecutor Liliana Cociu,” said Bastovoi.

Moreover, Andrei Bastovoi lodged a claim with the international institutions, asking them to monitor the observance of his human rights in Moldova.

Gheorghe Susarenco, the lawyer of Andrei Bastovoi said that through the example of this case, one can regard Moldova as a politicized state.

“I have always been an opponent of the Communist Party. Yet, it should be admitted that MCP leader, Vladimir Voronin, has never taken the liberty to make such abuses. Moreover, on a neutral territory of the country, police officers do not have the right to take any actions,” said Susarenco.

Andrei Bastovoi assessed the material damage inflicted to him at 78 thousand lei and the moral damage at 350 thousand lei.

“After winning this case in court, we will lodge a claim with the General Prosecutor’s Office and will demand that a civil case be opened on the matter. These sums must be repaid by the individuals who committed these infringements,” said the lawyer.
 
Infotag’s dossier: As many as six criminal cases are opened against Bastovoi, of which 5 – being consolidated cases. Andrei Bastovoi and his son are suspected of having misappropriated US$185 thousand, of the ASCOM Company, as well as of organizing an attempt upon the life of the company’s director Anatol Stati, of his son Gabriel Stati and of the security officer Veaceslav Glotov. Andrei Bastovoi, together with 14 other former employees of the company, is charged with attempts of misappropriating US$1.7 million in all.