Vlad Filat

The European Court of Human Rights, ECHR, ruled on Tuesday that the presumption of innocence in a case concerning former Moldovan Prime Minister Vladimir Filat was not violated when he was detained on corruption charges in 2015.

Filat was detained in the premises of parliament immediately after lawmakers voted to lift his immunity on October 15, 2015.

The Moldovan government and its British counterpart agreed on Tuesday that illicit funds confiscated by the British courts from Luca Filat, the son of former Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat, will be returned to Moldova.

A London judge has ordered the forfeiture of three frozen bank accounts belonging to the 22-year-old son of Moldova's former prime minister, Vlad Filat, who was jailed for corruption in 2016.

Moldova's government appointed a new defence minister on Tuesday after a lengthy row over the post between the pro-European, Democratic Party-led cabinet and pro-Russian President Igor Dodon.

Eugen Sturza, 32, was sworn in at a ceremony at the presidential palace led by parliament speaker Andrian Candu, acting as interim president while Dodon was briefly suspended.

Protesters against the newly approved Moldovan government broke into the building of the country's parliament on Wednesday.

The protesters led by the pro-Russian Socialist opposition stormed parliament only minutes after Moldovan MPs had approved a new pro-European government headed by Pavel Filip, deputy chairperson of the ruling Democratic Party.

Bucharest has voiced concerns about continuing political uncertainty in Moldova after its  president and a coalition of political parties failed to reach a compromise agreement over who will become the country's next prime minister.

Romanians have welcomed news that Moldovan President Nicolae Timofit has asked Ion Sturza, a wealthy pro-Western businessman who also has Romanian citizenship, to form a new government.

"This is a good news as Sturza has a clear a pro-European outlook. The problem is that he has to form a new political majority in Moldova, which is not easy,"  journalist Cristian Pantazi said.

The parliament of Moldova passed a vote of no confidence in the country's pro-European coalition government.

A total of 65 out of 101 MPs voted in favour of the censure motion on Thursday, TASS news agency informs.

Romania expressed concern about the continuing political uncertainty in the neighbouring country after former Moldovan prime minister and leader of the ruling pro-European coalition, Vlad Filat, was detained on Thursday on suspicion of involvement in a $1.5 billion bank fraud.

President Klaus Iohannis met the leaders of pro-European parties of the Republic of Moldova on Wednesday

President Klaus Iohannis (fourth from left) meets Vlad Filat (second from right)
Photo credit: (c) ALEX MICSIK / AGERPRES FLOW