At first, the Moldovan Prosecutor General's Office charged Pasat with exceeding his powers of office, which caused grave consequences. According to prosecutors, these were in the form of the sale of MiG-29 fighters in 1997 when Pasat was Moldova's defense minister. Prosecution estimates the financial loss suffered by the state due to the deal at $53 million.
Then, a new charge was brought against Valery Pasat. He was accused of power abuse. According to prosecution, as a defense minister, he sold a number of Uragan multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) and associated ammunition at a cut price via a foreign company. Prosecution estimates the state's loss in the deal at $1.8 million.
According to the Moldovan Prosecutor General's Office spokesperson, the arrest of and charges against Valery Pasat are "a logical stage of a criminal prosecution, based solely on the material and evidence gathered." The spokesperson denied any political agenda behind the case.
Pasat has repeatedly said that his case was "political persecution by [Moldovan President] Vladimir Voronin."
