There are few competent prosecutors who could investigate April 7 events, Zubko

We have few competent prosecutors in Moldova who could deal with the legal cases opened over the April events, Moldova's Prosecutor General Valeriu Zubko said, explaining thus the slowness of the investigations, Info-Prim Neo reports. Zubko does not rule out that some of the prosecutors and vice prosecutors might have been directly involved in the April 2009 events. He said the investigations now should be conducted by non-discredited, impartial and objective persons. According to him, the progress in some of the cases does not depend on the prosecutors. “In many cases, the injured parties do not come to the hearings, while in other cases – their lawyers,” he said. The investigation is also slow because many proofs have been destroyed, as in the case of the former head of the Security and Information Service Artur Reshetnikov, who will be investigated. Zubko said the Prosecutor General's Office will make everything possible for the opened legal cases to be sent to court. He stressed that 106 cases of maltreatment and torture have been recorded so far. Legal action was taken over 46 of these. Twenty-six cases concern the use of torture, while 12 – the abuse of power. They also include a case of theft, a case of murder (the Boboc case), a case of causing of bodily injuries (the Cusnir case), a case of rape attempt and a case of murder attempt. “Many complaints came from maltreated persons. Legal cases were opened against former Minister of the Interior Gheorghe Papuc and former Police Commissioner Vladimir Botnaru. Eight cases against 15 police officers have been remitted to court. Four are accused of use of torture, while 11 – o f abuse of power and misconduct in office,” Valeriu Zubko said.