A lawyer, investigated by the AP and the NAC, convicted of influence peddling and ordered to pay over half a million lei

The Chisinau Court, Buiucani headquarters, found a lawyer guilty of committing the crime of influence peddling (art. 42 paragraph (2), art. 326 paragraph (3) letter a) of the Criminal Code). The court ordered a fine of 250 000 lei with the deprivation of the right to practice law for a period of 5 years. It also ordered the special confiscation of the defendant's account, the funds resulting from the commission of the crime, namely the amount of 299 400 lei.

According to the evidence accumulated by the National Anti-corruption Centre (NAC) and the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office (AP), it was found that during 2015-2016, the lawyer, acting in complicity with another person, in respect of whom the criminal case was disjoined, allegedly claimed and received money from his client to influence the judges and prosecutors involved in examining the criminal case regarding the latter, in issuing a favourable decision.

In this regard, the defendant allegedly received in several instalments money in foreign currency (US dollars and Euros), equivalent to 299,400 lei. Part of the claimed money was allegedly offered to the defendant by his client's relatives, and another part was transferred through the person in respect of whom the criminal case was disjoined.

Although the defendant denied committing the incriminated act, the court, analysing the evidence, established his guilt.

The sentence can be appealed to the Chisinau Centre Court of Appeal within 15 days.

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