The Central Court of Appeal partially aggravates the sentence in a case of influence peddling documented by the NAC and the APO. The decision regarding the confiscation of the equivalent of 18,000 euros was also maintained

The National Anti-corruption Centre, in cooperation with the Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office, informs about the decision of the Central Court of Appeal, which admitted the prosecutor's appeal and ordered the partial quashing of the sentence of the Straseni Court (Central seat) of December 30, 2024, in the part related to the individualization of the sentence applied to a man convicted of two counts of influence peddling (art. 326 para. (2) let. c), d) and art. 326 para. (3) let. a) Criminal Code).

The appeal court established a prison sentence for a term of 3 years, with a fine of 150,000 lei. According to the decision, the prison sentence is partially suspended, with the convicted person to actually serve 1 year and 6 months, and the rest being conditionally suspended, for a probationary period of 3 years. The duration of the prison sentence is to be calculated from the moment of the person’s detention. At the same time, the Court of Appeal upheld the sanction imposed by the Straseni Court for one of the charges – a fine of 150,000 lei, to be executed separately from the sentence established by the appeal court. The decision of the first instance regarding the confiscation of the equivalent of the amount of 18,000 euros, the maintenance of the seizure applied and the preservation of the corpus delicti was also upheld.

According to the evidence accumulated by the NAC and APO, between May 2016 and January 2017, the convicted person allegedly demanded and received 10,000 euros from one person, and later 8,000 euros from another person, promising to influence public figures within the Forestry and Hunting Enterprise Straseni and the Moldsilva Agency to facilitate their employment as forester. The promises did not materialize because the position in question was already occupied.

The decision of the Court of Appeal is enforceable, but can be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice within 2 months.

Note: The person accused of committing a crime shall be presumed innocent until a final court decision is rendered.