The former president of the Călărași territorial office of a former political party, criminally investigated by the NAC and APO, was sentenced to 4 years in prison

The Chișinău Court, Buiucani seat, pronounced the sentence of conviction regarding the former president of the Călărași territorial office of a former political party, for committing the crime of complicity in knowingly accepting financing of the political party from an organized criminal group.

The court imposed a sentence of 4 years in prison, with the sentence to be served in a semi-closed penitentiary for women, as well as deprivation of the right to hold leadership positions in political parties or their organizations and to exercise administrative or financial management or logistical organization activities within political formations and associative entities with political purposes, for a term of 4 years.

The prison sentence is to be partially served, namely 2 years in prison, and the remaining 2 years – suspended conditionally, with a probation period of 2 years.

Until the sentence becomes final, the preventive measure - preventive arrest - was applied to the defendant.

Also, the confiscation of approximately 467,000 lei from the defendant's account for the benefit of the state was ordered, as monetary means used to commit the crime. The seizure applied to the defendant's assets was maintained.

According to the evidence administered by the National Anti-corruption Centre, jointly with the Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office and the Intelligence and Security Service, the defendant, acting as president of the Călărași territorial office of the former Political Party, knowing that the party was financed by an organized criminal group, together with other members of the party, would have contributed to the acceptance of this illegal financing.

Thus, the defendant would have accepted, through complicity and consciously, to receive funds in the amount of approximately 467,000 lei, derived from illegal activities and used to finance the party's activities, including the organization of protests and the remuneration of participants, with the aim of influencing political processes in the Republic of Moldova and obtaining power through illegal means.

Prosecutors are to decide, within 15 days, whether to appeal the sentence.

Note: A person accused of committing a crime shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty by a final court decision.