The recusals in the file accusing ex-president Igor Dodon of passive corruption and illegal financing of a political party continue in the current year. In Monday's meeting, the lawyers of the former head of state requested the recusal of the entire court panel, made up of 3 judges from the Supreme Court of Justice.

Igor Dodon announced on the Facebook page: "Today, at the first meeting of this year at the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ), my defenders requested the recusal of the trial panel. I remind you that the President of this committee was appointed as interim President of the SCJ, after the current government made changes in the law,especially for  this appointment. Another interim President, that of the CSM, Dorel Musteață, a loyal client of the current government, immediately appointed Mr. Vladimir Timofti to this position. After providing this useful service to the government, Musteață was promoted as a judge at the SCJ, even though the law expressly forbids this. These dubious moves do not inspire confidence in the justice process, especially when I notice that the same judge Timofti supervises all the panels that examine the cases of interest/politics for the current government,  including my case and he also designates himself in the panels that examine the legality of the decisions of the Pre-vetting Commission", explained Dodon.

The recusal request is to be examined by another panel of judges from the Supreme Court of Justice.

This is not the first recusal request in the indictment of Igor Dodon, generically named "kulyok". The lawyers of the former president submitted 4 requests to recuse the prosecutors and judges, a request to relocate the file, and two requests to lift the exception of unconstitutionality, with the suspension of the examination of the case until the ruling of the constitutional court. The requests were rejected, except for those concerning the exception of unconstitutionality.

Igor Dodon is accused of two counts of passive corruption, the episode in the video recording in which he receives the bag of money (kulyok) from the oligarch Plahotniuc to ally with the PDM, as well as the accusation of illicit financing of the Socialist Party.

The part of the file related to the accusations of illicit enrichment and treason remained in the management of the prosecutors.