Moldova's current, former presidents sue each other over moral damage

Vladimir Voronin

Lawyers of Moldova's former president and current Communist leader, Vladimir Voronin, have taken legal actions against the Liberal Party of acting President Mihai Ghimpu after the latter sued Voronin in June 2010. The two accuse each other of moral damage.

Ghimpu accuses Voronin of having tarnished his image by the documentary "Attack against Moldova" about the post-electoral riots that took place in Chisinau on 7 April 2009, which is said to have been shot at the order of the then ruling Communist Party. In the movie, Ghimpu is said to have been involved in the organization of the riots and is accused of coup d'etat. As compensation for the inflicted moral damage Ghimpu asks one leu from Voronin and three million lei (over 190,000 euros) from the pro-Communist TV channel NIT which broadcast the documentary.

On the other hand, Voronin's lawyer claims that Ghimpu's Liberal Party authored the documentary "The truth about 7 April", according to which the Communists bear full responsibility for the 2009 riots. They require that the Liberal Party pays two million lei in moral damage.

Ghimpu believes that by doing so, the opposition Communist Party wants to delay the trial. "They want to delay so that people do not find out the truth before the early parliamentary election", Ghimpu said, adding that the trial should be brought to an end because we are dealing here with a movie which accused the [then] opposition of coup d'etat".

For his part, Communists' lawyer Sergiu Sirbu said that their legal actions are not aimed at delaying the trial. "It is our legal right because indeed that movie seriously tarnished the image [of the Communist Party] as it includes absolutely erroneous statements that fly into the face of reality," Sirbu said.

The examination of Ghimpu's case started on 16 September, but the court postponed it for 20 and 25 October to make it possible for the lawyers of the Liberal Party to get acquainted with the Communists' inquiry.

Moldpres

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