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Directors of Moldova 1 and Moldpres Were Invited to Hearings of the Committee that Investigates the ‘Anti-constitutional Coup Attempt’

20 September 2019
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În Moldova
On 20 September, various persons in position of accountability were heard by the Inquiry Committee of the Parliament, which investigates the circumstances of the political events that took place in June 2019. The former General Prosecutor, Eduard Harunjen, the former Head of the General Police Inspectorate, Gheorghe Cavcaliuc and others, were invited to the hearings together with two press managers – the Director of Moldova 1 Ecaterina Stratan and the Director General of the State Information Agency ‘Moldpres’ Andrei Volentir.

Asked by Media-azi.md to comment on today's hearings, Ecaterina Stratan mentioned that she was asked if she was subjected to pressures in order to broadcast or not certain materials during that period. ‘We talked about the period between 1-14 June. They asked me how it was and if I was under pressure. I told them I wasn’t, said Stratan. As regards the request of the President Dodon to speak directly to citizens, to which Moldova 1 gave a delayed answer, Stratan admitted that she consulted the Chairperson of the Supervisory Board, Olga Bordeianu because ‘it was not clear how many governments there were at that time’. Stratan claims that she did her job as an honest journalist.

It should be mentioned that in July, the Audiovisual Council sanctioned with public warning the public TV channel Moldova 1 because it did not ensure the impartiality, balance and plurality of opinions in its programs during the events that took place on 8 and 9 June.

The Director General of Moldpres, Andrei Volentir, stated for Media-azi.md that he could not disclose to the public what he said to the Inquiry Committee. ‘I cannot provide you details. Since the media representatives were not admitted to the meeting of the Committee, I assume that the information gathered during the hearings will be assessed in one way or another by the members of the Committee,’ said Volentir. The Director of Moldpres specified that the questions mainly concerned the publication of official documents issued by the Presidency, Government and Parliament.

All statements will be included in a final report, according to PAS MP, Mihai Popsoi, the Chairperson of the Inquiry Committee ‘for the elucidation of the de facto and the jure circumstances concerning the anti-constitutional coup attempt conducted by the Democratic Party of Moldova through the Constitutional Court and the General Prosecutor's Office’. The report is to be published by the end of October this year.