An architectural monument dating from 1851 risks being transformed into a hotel with restaurants, parking lot, shopping center and a mini-factory for processing fish, lawyers of the plaintiffs, who sued the current owner of the apartments from the building situated at 52 Schusev St, and the authorities that allowed demolishing the house, announced, Info-Prim Neo reports. In a news conference in Wednesday, lawyer Violeta Gasitoi said that in 2008-2009 the owner initiated a procedure for obtaining the necessary authorizations for taking down the building and erecting a four-story hotel with the necessary infrastructure. According to the lawyer, in 2009 officials in charge at the Chisinau City Hall and the Ministry of Culture rejected the owner’s applications. “However, the owner found other ways and persons holding important posts at the City Hall and the Ministry of Culture who, in 2010 signed the documents allowing demolishing the building and constructing a hotel with six, not four stories,” said Violeta Gasitoi. She also said that after obtaining all the documents, the owner informed the people leaving in the common yard that he intends to start constructing the hotel. The dwellers asked the City Hall to annul the authorizations, but nothing was done. That’s why they filed a lawsuit. The Court of Appeals rejected yet the plaintiffs’ application and allowed demolishing the building. The dwellers appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Justice. “It is evident that the Court of Appeals judge is not independent and impartial. Furthermore, a judge has a salary of 4,000-5,000 lei and certainly needs additional incomes,” said lawyer Roman Zadoinov. He added that if the Supreme Court of Justice does not quash the decision of the Court of Appeals, the plaintiffs will appeal to the ECHR. Attending the conference, director general of the Agency for Monument Inspection and Restoration Ion Stefanita said that the representative of the Ministry of Culture who signed the demolition documents was fired. According to him, this is not the first case when this person illegally stamps such documents. Corina Rezneac, coordinator of the advocacy group “Mailer Carriers of Chisinau”, said that the monuments of national importance are destroyed daily and this happens because of corruption in state institutions and of the corrupt judges who pass illegal decisions. Under these decisions, 33 national monuments were destroyed in four years. The first documentary information about the building located at 52 Schusev St dates from 1851, when it belonged to Ivan Svarichebsky. It is a one-story house built in eclectic style with modern trends.