The Centru-based Chisinau Court on April 10 issued warrants for the arrest of eight persons suspected of planning to kill the president of the Democratic Party Vlad Plahotniuc. Thus, the eight suspects will spend the next 30 days in Penitentiary No. 13 in Chisinau, IPN reports.
Prosecutor Vitalie Busuioc told the press that the police made progress in the investigation, but cannot provide details. He said only that US$100,000 was transmitted to the killers in Ukraine and an equal amount was to be paid afterward. The wiretaps show a bonus was to be offered after the murder. It is not yet known how much money the suspects arrested in Moldova were to get.
Vitalei Rusu, the lawyer for two of the suspects, said his clients plead not guilty and no conclusive evidence to substantiate the accusations has been provided so far. Lawyer Dina Potereanu said the decision to place the suspects under arrest will be challenged.
Last weekend, 17 persons were arrested in Ukraine and Moldova on suspicion that they formed part of a criminal group that planned the murder of the Democratic leader Vlad Plahotniuc. Two of the eight persons arrested in Moldova are Ukrainians. The attack was to be committed in the Global Business Center with shootings and grenade explosions. The murder was ordered by two Moldovan nationals, one of whom is in Moscow and is a criminal authority. The suspects face up to 20 years in jail.
