Doina Gherman reiterated that Nicolae Botgros personally decided to resign from his position as a deputy. She emphasized that the artist made a “superhuman effort” to attend both rehearsals and parliamentary meetings.
On TV8’s “Black Box” (Cutia Neagră) program, Gherman confirmed that she considers Rise’s investigation regarding properties near the Palace of Culture of the Railway Workers to be accurate. However, she clarified that Botgros could not be expelled from the party because he was never a member.
“Probably, it was a decision made a long time ago. The effort was superhuman. I saw how Mr. Botgros struggled to attend concert rehearsals while also participating in the faction and committee meetings. He was present absolutely everywhere in Parliament where needed. A trustworthy person. It was his decision. At the same time, I want to highlight very positive examples: Maxim Potîrniche, Ludmila Adamciuc, people who integrated very well into the Parliamentary team, into the PAS faction,” Gherman said.
When asked why PAS did not distance itself from Botgros after the Rise investigation, she explained that the National Integrity Authority and other responsible institutions must act independently. “You cannot remove someone’s party membership if they do not even have it. He left the faction by his own decision,” she stated.
Regarding those who ran in elections on PAS lists, gained parliamentary seats, but later resigned, Gherman said they acted in support of Moldova’s European integrity. She noted that no one forced them to run and that each case should be evaluated individually rather than collectively.