Police took action after an "SMS" appeared a few days ago on Facebook, where the host of the TV show "The Fourth Power" on N4, Gheorghe Gonta, asked the leader of "Our Party" (PN), Renato Usatii, 18 thousand euro. In exchange for this amount, the journalist would have promised the mayor of Balti appearances "as it should be" on his show. The information was confirmed for Deschide.MD by deputy head of Police General Inspectorate (IGP), Gheorghe Cavcaliuc.

 

"Police took action after this message was published by a PN follower and fierce supporter of Usatii. We are investigating the case. The person who posted the message will be cited, Usatii and Mr. Gonta, in order to verify the authenticity of that SMS. After that, according to the gathered information, we will decide on the commencement of criminal investigation or we will order its ending," he declared.

Gheorghe Gonta denied the veracity of this message. However, in a post on Facebook, the PN leader says he was warned by his friends from Internal that in this case is initiated a criminal procedure and that Gheorghe Cavcaliuc keeps it under personal control, naming this as bullshit.

"The officers with patriotic spirit. I do not want to believe this is true. A total aberration !!! «This SMS was published yesterday on the Facebook site of a follower of RU [Renato Usatii - Eds.] and hence police and prosecutor's office took action and has started criminal proceedings on RU on active corruption of the journalist Gheorghe Gonta and regarding Gheorghe Gonta on passive corruption because he received money from the RU as to favor him. Cavcaliuc personally keeps this under control and the Special Operations Department (DOS) examines the case. With this case are dealing two DOS officers, two officers of General Department of Criminal Investigation (DGUP) and 1 prosecutor from General Prosecutor's Office»," wrote Usatii.

On his turn, the journalist Gheorghe Gonta, asked by Deschide.MD reporter, said that the SMS is a fake one and that is a revenge connected with his last interviews during the show that he moderates.

Deschide.MD reminds that in late October, at N4 was supposed to appear an issue with Renato Usatii via Skype, but the last minute, it was canceled. The politician has charged that the decision had been taken by the owners of the TV station under pressure from Plahotniuc, while one of the co-owners told us that the reason was a technical one.