Police have “arrested” a Christmas tree in Chisinau. It is the latest development in the on-going Christmas tree war between City Authorities and the Moldovan government.

Moldovan police have demanded that the driver of a vehicle carrying the city government’s Christmas tree to the main square, produce a license to purchase fir trees as well as a permit from the State Environmental Inspectorate, Reporter.MD news agency says.

Representatives of the country’s Forest Management Association, however, say there is no need for such a permit in this case.

But police detained the vehicle nonetheless and then said the fir tree is ‘under arrest’.

And while the mayor is demanding explanations, the Republic’s government is erecting a fir tree of its own in the same main square.

This ‘best tree’ intrigue is the latest incident in the Xmas-tree war which started last year when  the Christmas tree erected by the City on the capital’s main square, disappeared the day after it went up only to reappear again at another square in front of the Chisinau Cathedral.

It has never been established who was responsible for the move.

Police told Mayor Chirtoaca that “unidentified persons” did it. But, Chirtoaca said he had adequate information that the fir tree had been removed by the police themselves.

In the end, the Christmas tree was erected in front of the Mayor’s Office building.