Chisinau general commissioner and another 23 police officers reinstated in posts

The Ministry of the Interior has announced today that 24 of the 25 policemen, who were investigated as part of an internal inquiry launched after the pictures taken by video cameras from the Government Building on the night of April 8, 2009 were made public, have been reinstated in posts. The 25th policeman, Ion Perju, is investigated in the case of Valeriu Boboc. The policemen were reinstated because no evidence proving their guilt was found, the deputy head of the Ministry's Internal Security and Investigations Division Iurie Maximov told a news conference. He said the videos of the April 2009 protests made known by Mayor of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca early last month were sent to Bucharest for examination. “The images have not been deciphered clearly. Conclusive proofs are needed,” said Iurie Maximov. Two days ago, Minister of the Interior Victor Catan said 11 police officers were suspended from posts and were investigated in connection with Valeriu Boboc's death. He refused to give details, saying there are a number of matters that must be coordinated with the prosecution body. The Ministry's spokesman Chiril Motpan said all the policemen who were reinstated - those investigated over Valeriu Boboc's death and those probed in the cases concerning the April 7 events - have the status of witness. Among the 24 police officers are the general police commissioner of the municipality of Chisinau Sergiu Cociorva, the criminal police chief Ruslan Saachian and deputy commissioner of Drochia Ghenadie Floreac. Iurie Maximov said a number of the reinstated police officers appealed the Ministry's decision to suspend them to court. Ruslan Saachian is among them. Seventy-three internal inquiries were conducted after the April 7, 2009 events.