Minister of Justice Alexandru Tanase voiced hope that judge Domnica Manole will benefit from all the guarantees of a fair trial and her case will be treated in the most serious way, IPN reports.
“I just want balanced actions to be taken in relation to her. This is a sensitive case and it should be treated with much prudency and seriousness,”Alexandru Tanase stated in a press briefing.
The Superior Council of Magistracy declared Domnica Manole incompatible with the post of judge based on appraisals presented by the Security and Intelligence Service and suggested that the President of Moldova should sign a decree to dismiss her. The decree was published at the end of last July. The judge described the Council’s decision as a political order and an illegal decision as this was taken by flagrantly violating all the legal provisions. The case is to be reviewed as the Constitutional Court decided that the inspection of judges by the SIS is unconstitutional.
The minister commented also on the refusal by several judges to try the case of Ilan Shor. Alexandru Tanase considers this phenomenon is not so serious. On the contrary, it represents a natural process that will ultimately produce a judge who will be able to examine the case in an independent way. The replacement of a judge is in favor of the act of doing justice.
“If the judge admits that he has a problem with this case, it is ok. It is better than allowing to be replaced. Everyone had the own arguments. There would have been much more doubts if they had taken part in the examination and the press then revealed conflicts of interests. The judges can be replaced as long as they do not generate doubts among civil society, the prosecutor, the convict, the lawyers,” stated Alexandru Tanase.
Judges Xenofon Ulianovschi and Silvia Vrabii refused to examine the case of Shor. Later, Appeals Court judges Igor Minascurta and Oxana Robuca also asked to be replaced. A new panel to examine the case of swindle and money laundering against Ilan Shor, consisting of judges Stelian Teleuca, Alexandru Spoiala and Svetlana Balmus, was formed on January 29.
