Justice Minister Vladislav Cojuhari said that a Moldovan court must issue a decision before Vlad Filat can serve in the Republic of Moldova the sentence imposed by French authorities. Interior Minister Daniella Misail-Nichitin added that authorities in Chisinau have received an Interpol request targeting the former prime minister and have forwarded it to prosecutors.
Cojuhari said current legislation clearly regulates the procedure and allows states to transmit final foreign criminal judgments to the country where the convicted person is located.
“The competent authority, in this case the French one, may submit such a request together with the final judgments to the Republic of Moldova. After verifying compliance with all legal requirements and international conventions, the Ministry of Justice will forward the case to the competent court, which will rule on the execution of the sentence,” the justice minister explained.
Interior Minister Misail-Nichitin noted that police may detain Vlad Filat only after a court or a prosecutor orders such a measure.
According to AFP, in early December a French court sentenced former Moldovan prime minister Vlad Filat in absentia to two years in prison. His former wife, Sanda Divircean, received an 18-month suspended sentence and a fine of 150,000 euros.