A spokesperson for the Moldovan Prosecutor General's Office told RIA Novosti that "Valery Pasat, the country's former Defense Minister and former director of the Moldovan Information and Security Service, was detained Friday in the Chisinau airport". He is suspected of masterminding massive embezzlement of state property.
"The decision on detaining Valery Pasat was made on the basis of our inquiry into a sale of 21 MIG-29 jet fighters. The transaction incurred the Moldovan budget damages to the tune of tens of millions of US dollars. The transaction took place in 1997 when Mr. Pasat was holding the post of Moldova's Defense Minister," the spokesperson pointed out.
"The Moldovan Prosecutor General's Office denies any link between Mr. Pasat's arrest and his current activity as an international relations aide to the head of Russia's UES (Unified Energy System - the national power grid operator). The Moldovan Prosecutor General's Office will shortly bring the charges against Valery Pasat," the spokesperson said.
On Saturday, leaders of the opposition political bloc 'Democratic Moldova' held a meeting in Chisinau. ValeryPasat was to attend the meeting, participants of this closed-door gathering told RIA Novosti.
Cochairman of the bloc Dmitry Dyakov said in his interview with RIA Novosti that Mr. Pasat's arrest before the meeting was pure coincidence.
"I can't make a lot of comment on the developments but I know that Mr. Pasat traded arms and, among other things, sold planes," Mr. Dyakov said. -"I also know that he had problems and that he visited Washington some time ago to settle those."
RIA Novosti learned about Mr. Pasat's arrest on Friday night from Moldovan law enforcers. Valery Pasat is a citizen of Moldova. Our source assumed thathis arrest could pertain to the notorious sale of MIG fighters during Valery Pasat's 1996-1998 tenure as Moldova's Defense Minster. 21 MIG-29 jet fighters were sold to the United States for $80 million at the time. The transaction has already sparked a number of scandals as, according to media reports, half of the above amount has failed to reach Moldova.
