Members of the parliamentary ad hoc commission for Padurea Domneasca tragedy investigation, former Communist parliamentarians Alexander Petkov and Grigore Petrenco, are demanding that competent international structures be mobilized to investigation of the tragedy that happened in the Padurea Domneasca national park over 2 years ago.

 

Petkov stated at a news conference at Infotag today that the Padurea Domneasca case is as serious as are other investigations, to which the incumbent Moldovan authorities have attracted international organizations – such as e.g. the case of the April 7, 2009 events or the Banca de Economii case.

 

Alexander Petkov demanded from the acting Prime Minister Iurie Leanca to address officially to relevant international organizations, in particular to the European Commission, to delegate foreign experts to investigate into the Padurea Domneasca tragedy.

 

“We think that this is one of the loudest and scandalous-most cases in the Moldovan history – one that just cannot be left to the mercy of the judiciary controlled by Plahotniuc [Vlad Plahotniuc, now a member of parliament once again, is the First Deputy Chairman of the Democratic Party and one of the country’s richest and mightiest oligarchs], who wanted to use the recent verdict by the Falesti Raion Court for legalizing that murder in the national park. We demand foreign interference into the investigation”, said Petkov.

 

The ex-parliamentarian is convinced that those judges and prosecutors, who took part in the scandalous hunting session that ended in a human death, have no right to further hold their high posts.

 

“However, this simple rule does not work here, so it is not at all surprising that Ion Plesca and Sergiu Railean were not brought to responsibility. Moreover, they haven’t been even dismissed from their high posts. I will explain. Mr. Plesca is the Chairman of the Chisinau Appeals Court, so the election process in the republic largely depends on him. And Mr. Railean is the Director of the state-run Registru center for informational resources, and he is the country’s chief registrar of the population, passports etc. At the recent parliamentary elections, we all saw what role these gentlemen played in rigging the elections, in de-registration of the opposition Patria Party 3 days before the voting date, and so on”, said Alexander Petkov.

 

In his words, as many as seven Articles of the Criminal Code were violated in the Padurea Domneasca case, and minimum two Articles of the Code of Administrative Offences.

 

“Meanwhile, the Falesti Court sentenced Gheorghe Cretu [former CAC Deputy Chairman] only for murder by misadventure. This means that poaching in a national park, falsification of evidence, intimidation of witnesses, interference into the justice process etc. were ignored as trifles? I stated at the trial, “This is Plahotniuc’s justice and Plahotniuc’s trial”, and his prosecutors initiated criminal proceedings against me – for interference into justice. But those who directly influence and press on judges are safe and sound, and they keep holding their posts. Look, people find themselves behind bars even on grounds of unfounded suspicions, whereas criminals like Ion Plesca administer justice. How can we trust in such justice?” wondered Alexander Petkov.

 

Ex-MP Grigore Petrenco, who continues to be Deputy Chairperson of the Unified European Left group in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, stated that the Falesti Court verdict has demonstrated that “if you are a member of the organized criminal group called Democratic Party, you may feel free to be a poacher in a nature reserve, to conceal a crime, or to give false testimony. In other words, you can do whatever you wish because there is nobody to bring you to responsibility: the people who must administer justice go hunting together with you”.

 

Petrenco stressed that the above-mentioned parliamentary ad hoc commission has established that relevant state agencies acted slackly and partially, concealing evidence and turning a blind eye to the obvious perjury committed by the high-ranked participants in that “royal hunting”.

 

“The court ignored all those facts and arguments. If law had really worked in Moldova, such people as Plahotniuc, Cretu, Plesca would have long been in prison”, said Grigore Petrenco.

 

And Alexander Petkov stated in conclusion that the Padurea Domneasca case is not over yet, and that “there will be a continuation – when Plahotniuc is in custody”.

 

As already reported by Infotag, on February 4 the Falesti Raion Court sentenced ex-Deputy Chairman of the Chisinau Appeals Court Gheorghe Cretu, accused of illicit hunting and of accidental shooting of entrepreneur Sorin Paciu, received 2 years of suspended sentence, and was fined 6,000 lei (some US$330). Also, Cretu shall repay a million lei to the Paciu family. The rest three defendants of the case (see below) were pleaded not guilty because the court revealed no corpus delicti in their actions.

 

Infotag’s dossier: On December 23, 2012 a big hunt was organized in a place totally forbidden for such kind of entertainment – in the Padurea Domneasca national park situated in the Falesti Raion . The session involved about 30 hunters, including several judges and prosecutors and even then-Prosecutor General Valeriu Zubco. During it, businessman Sorin Paciu, 34, was mortally wounded by misadventure, and died a few hours later.

 

The news was made public only on January 6, when Popular Anti-Mafia Movement leader Sergiu Mocanu convened a news conference in Chisinau. Valeriu Zubco was discharged shortly after for concealing the gross incident.

 

In early April 2013, Gheorghe Cretu was officially accused of involuntary killing of Sorin Paciu. Cretu tendered resignation from his post. The Supreme Magistracy Council de-immunized him. However, the suspect was remaining at large during the investigation.

 

The Sorin Paciu case involved three more suspects, who took part in the hunting: ex-Director of the Padurea Domneasca national park Denis Eremciuc and his two subordinates – Valeriu Svestun and Genadie Zalevschi. They are suspected of abusing position, forging official documents, making false statements, and intimidating witnesses.